Tapering and Peaking for Optimal Performance

by Mujika

Overview

Coaches and athletes can look to Tapering and Peaking for Optimal Performance to learn the tested strategies of 16 Olympic and world champion athletes and coaches. These strategies have enabled athletes like Jason Queally, José Maria Olazabal, and Simon Fairweather to bring home the highest honors in international sports-35 gold, 25 silver, and 15 bronze medals at world championships and Olympic Games, plus numerous national and international titles and awards. Bob Bowman (Michael Phelps' personal coach) and many other internationally celebrated instructors and trainers contribute their expertise on managing training time and intensity to ensure the best possible competitive performance.

Tapering and Peaking for Optimal Performance offers tactics for individual endurance sports, power and sprint events, and precision sports, allowing for sport-specific approaches for swimmers, triathletes, cyclists, gymnasts, archers, golfers, and many others. Plus, team sport strategies for field hockey, rugby, and water polo address the challenges and nuances of tapering and peaking as a team for both regular-season and tournament play.

Athletes and coaches can also explore the science behind the mental and physical performance boosts of a well-designed taper. Psychological training tips, training modifications, and suggestions for designing tapering programs give coaches and athletes the tools to peak for optimal performance when it counts.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780736092760
Publisher:	Human Kinetics Publishers
Publication date:	05/01/2009
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
File size:	14 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

Iñigo Mujika, PhD, is a lecturer in the department of physiology, faculty of medicine and odontology, at the University of the Basque Country in Leioa, Spain. Previously, Mujika was also the head of the department of research and development at the Spanish professional football team Athletic Club Bilbao. As a researcher, sport science practitioner, and coach, Mujika is widely considered one of the most respected experts on tapering and peaking for optimal performance.

Since 1992, Mujika has been devoted to the research of tapering and peaking for sport performance. He has published over 20 peer-reviewed scientific articles, 6 book chapters, and 10 other publications on tapering-related issues. He has also presented nearly 70 lectures on tapering at conferences and seminars worldwide.

As a sport physiologist, Mujika works closely with elite athletes and coaches in a variety of individual and team sports. From 2003 to 2004, Mujika was senior physiologist at the Australian Institute of Sport. In 2005, he worked as physiologist and trainer of the professional road bicycle racing team Euskaltel Euskadi. He is also a coach of world-class triathletes, having coached Olympians Ainhoa Murua (Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008) and Eneko Llanos (Athens 2004).

Mujika is a member of the American College of Sports Medicine and serves as associate editor of the International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance. He holds a doctoral degree in biology of muscular exercise (1995) from the University of Saint-Etienne in France and a second doctorate in physical activity and sport sciences (1999) along with an Extraordinary Doctorate Award from the University of the Basque Country in Spain. In 2002 and 2007 he received the National Award for Sport Medicine Research from the University of Oviedo in Spain. He has also received two awards for his work with triathletes: Best Coach of Female Athlete (2006) from the Spanish Triathlon Federation and the High Performance Basque Sport Award (2007) from the Basque Sport Foundation.

Fluent in four languages (Basque, English, French, and Spanish), Mujika has lived in California, France, South Africa, and Australia. He currently resides in the Basque Country, Spain. Mujika enjoys surfing, cycling, swimming, strength training, and hiking, as well as cinema and traveling.

Table of Contents

Part I: Scientific Bases of Tapering
Chapter 1: Basics of Tapering
Chapter 2: Taper-Associated Cardiorespiratory and Metabolic Changes
Chapter 3: Taper-Associated Biochemical, Hormonal, Immunological Changes
Chapter 4: Taper-Associated Psychological Changes

Part II: Tapering and Athletic Performance
Chapter 5: Reduction of the Training Load
Chapter 6: Designing the Taper for Performance Improvements
Chapter 7: Insights From Mathematical Modeling
Chapter 8: Unique Aspects of Team Sport Tapering

Part III: Elite Sports Figures on Tapering and Peaking
Chapter 9: Tapering for Individual Endurance Sports
Chapter 10: Tapering for Sprint and Power Events
Chapter 11: Tapering for Precision Sports
Chapter 12: Tapering for Team Sports

What People are Saying About This

Tim Noakes

"In Tapering and Peaking for Optimal Performance, competitive athletes will finally find the scientific answers to all their practical questions about tapering. This book will provide a substantial advantage to coaches and athletes."--(Professor Tim Noakes, MBChB, MD, DSc, FACSM, Author of Lore of Running)

Louise Burke

"Tapering and Peaking for Optimal Performance bridges the gap from science to competition. Inigo Mujika tackles the critical issues of performance with ease and excellence."--(Louise Burke, PhD, APD, Head of the department of sports nutrition, Australian Institute of Sport, Author of Practical Sports Nutrition)

Editorial Reviews

Reviewer:Brian Bratta, MS, ATC, CSCS(Michigan State University)
Description:This is a complete look at the scientific process of tapering and peaking designed to help athletes and coaches understand how to achieve optimal results during competition.
Purpose:Tapering is a commonly used practice in many elite sports, and the author makes the process understandable so that any level athlete can realize its benefits. Using current research, the author provides an adequate meta-analysis of the data to prove that tapering is beneficial for an athlete's performance.
Audience:The foreword, written by Miguel Indurain, the Spanish cyclist and five-time Tour de France winner, clearly explains the knowledge base that the author has and how he has attained it through experience. This book is written specifically for all those interested in bettering their performance during competition. For both elite and recreational athletes, the author provides ample techniques for optimal performance.
Features:The book follows a logical progression, from an explanation of the scientific aspects of tapering and peaking to how to use these techniques for personal gain. Along with the current research used in the meta-analysis, multiple graphs and tables help further understanding of the tapering and peaking process. A glossary also helps readers in understanding the process as well.
Assessment:This book comprehensively covers the tapering and peaking process. The author does a nice job of combining current research with common techniques used in the profession so that any athlete can use this information to achieve optimal performance.