Skip to main content
Log in

Detraining: Loss of Training-Induced Physiological and Performance Adaptations. Part I

Short Term Insufficient Training Stimulus

  • Leading Article
  • Published:
Sports Medicine Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Detraining is the partial or complete loss of training-induced adaptations, in response to an insufficient training stimulus. Detraining characteristics may be different depending on the duration of training cessation or insufficient training. Short term detraining (less than 4 weeks of insufficient training stimulus) is analysed in part I of this review, whereas part II will deal with long term detraining (more than 4 weeks of insufficient training stimulus). Short term cardiorespiratory detraining is characterised in highly trained athletes by a rapid decline in maximal oxygen uptake (V̇O2max) and blood volume. Exercise heart rate increases insufficiently to counterbalance the decreased stroke volume, and maximal cardiac output is thus reduced. Ventilatory efficiency and endurance performance are also impaired. These changes are more moderate in recently trained individuals. From a metabolic viewpoint, short term inactivity implies an increased reliance on carbohydrate metabolism during exercise, as shown by a higher exercise respiratory exchange ratio, and lowered lipase activity, GLUT-4 content, glycogen level and lactate threshold. At the muscle level, capillary density and oxidative enzyme activities are reduced. Training-induced changes in fibre cross-sectional area are reversed, but strength performance declines are limited. Hormonal changes include a reduced insulin sensitivity, a possible increase in testosterone and growth hormone levels in strength athletes, and a reversal of short term training-induced adaptations in fluid-electrolyte regulating hormones.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Table I.
Table II.
Table III.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Hawley J, Burke L. Peak performance: training and nutritional strategies for sport. St Leonards: Allen & Unwin, 1998

    Google Scholar 

  2. Mujika I. The influence of training characteristics and tapering on the adaptation in highly trained individuals: a review. Int J Sports Med 1998; 19 (7): 439–46

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Fleck SJ. Detraining: its effects on endurance and strength. Strength Cond 1994; 16 (1): 22–8

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Schneider V, Arnold B, Martin K, et al. Detraining effects in college football players during the competitive season. J Strength Cond Res 1998; 12 (1): 42–5

    Google Scholar 

  5. Hickson RC, Rosenkoetter MA. Reduced training frequencies and maintenance of increased aerobic power. Med Sci Sports Exerc 1981; 13 (1): 13–6

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Hickson RC, Kanakis JC, Davis JR, et al. Reduced training duration effects on aerobic power, endurance and cardiac growth. J Appl Physiol 1982; 53 (1): 225–9

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Hickson RC, Foster C, Pollock ML, et al. Reduced training intensities and loss of aerobic power, endurance, and cardiac growth. J Appl Physiol 1985; 58 (2): 492–9

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Neufer PD, Costill DL, Fielding RA, et al. Effect of reduced training on muscular strength and endurance in competitive swimmers. Med Sci Sports Exerc 1987; 19 (5): 486–90

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Graves JE, Pollock ML, Leggett SH, et al. Effect of reduced training frequency on muscular strength. Int J Sports Med 1988; 9: 316–9

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Houmard JA, Kirwan JP, Flynn MG, et al. Effects of reduced training on submaximal and maximal running responses. Int J Sports Med 1989; 10 (1): 30–3

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Houmard JA, Costill DL, Mitchell JB, et al. Reduced training maintains performance in distance runners. Int J Sports Med 1990; 11 (1): 46–52

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Houmard JA, Costill DL, Mitchell JB, et al. Testosterone, cortisol, and creatine kinase levels in male distance runners during reduced training. Int J Sports Med 1990; 11 (1): 41–5

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. McConell GK, Costill DL, Widrick JJ, et al. Reduced training volume and intensity maintain aerobic capacity but not performance in distance runners. Int J Sports Med 1993; 14 (1): 33–7

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Martin DT, Scifres JC, Zimmerman SD, et al. Effects of interval training and a taper on cycling performance and isokinetic leg strength. Int J Sports Med 1994; 15 (8): 485–91

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Houmard JA, Tyndall GL, Midyette JB, et al. Effect of reduced training and training cessation on insulin action and muscle GLUT-4. J Appl Physiol 1996; 81 (3): 1162–8

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Zarkadas PC, Carter JB, Banister EW. Modelling the effect of taper on performance, maximal oxygen uptake, and the anaerobic threshold in endurance triathletes. Adv Exp Med Biol 1995; 393: 179–86

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Banister EW, Carter JB, Zarkadas PC. Training theory and taper: validation in triathlon athletes. Eur J Appl Physiol 1999; 79: 182–91

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Costill DL, King DS, Thomas R, et al. Effects of reduced training on muscular power in swimmers. Physician Sports Med 1985; 13 (2): 94–101

    Google Scholar 

  19. Yamamoto Y, Mutoh Y, Miyashita M. Hematological and biochemical indices during the tapering period of competitive swimmers. In: Ungerechts BE, Wilke K, Reischle K, editors. Swimming science V. Champaign (IL): Human Kinetics, 1988: 243–9

    Google Scholar 

  20. Costill DL, Thomas R, Robergs RA, et al. Adaptations to swimming training: influence of training volume. Med Sci Sports Exerc 1991; 23 (3): 371–7

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Johns RA, Houmard JA, Kobe RW, et al. Effects of taper on swim power, stroke distance and performance. Med Sci Sports Exerc 1992; 24 (10): 1141–6

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Neary JP, Martin TP, Reid DC, et al. The effects of a reduced exercise duration taper programme on performance and muscle enzymes of endurance cyclists. Eur J Appl Physiol 1992; 65: 30–6

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Shepley B, MacDougall JD, Cipriano N, et al. Physiological effects of tapering in highly trained athletes. J Appl Physiol 1992; 72 (2): 706–11

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Gibala MJ, MacDougall JD, Sale DG. The effects of tapering on strength performance in trained athletes. Int J Sports Med 1994; 15 (8): 492–7

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Houmard JA, Johns RA. Effects of taper on swim performance: practical implications. Sports Med 1994; 17 (4): 224–32

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Houmard JA, Scott BK, Justice CL, et al. The effects of taper on performance in distance runners. Med Sci Sports Exerc 1994; 26 (5): 624–31

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. Mujika I, Busso T, Lacoste L, et al. Modeled responses to training and taper in competitive swimmers. Med Sci Sports Exerc 1996; 28 (2): 251–8

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. Hooper SL, Mackinnon LT, Ginn EM. Effects of three tapering techniques on the performance forces and psychometric measures of competitive swimmers. Eur J Appl Physiol 1998; 78: 258–63

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  29. Houmard JA. Impact of reduced training on performance in endurance athletes. Sports Med 1991; 12 (6): 380–93

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  30. Neufer PD. The effect of detraining and reduced training on the physiological adaptations to aerobic exercise training. Sports Med 1989; 8 (5): 302–21

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  31. Israel S. Le syndrome aigu de relâche ou de désentraînement: problème lié au sport de compétition. Bull Comité Natl Olympique République Démocratique Allemande 1972; 14: 17–25

    Google Scholar 

  32. S’Jongers JJ. Le syndrome de désentraînement. Bruxelles-Médical 1976; 7: 297–300

    Google Scholar 

  33. Pavlik G, Bachl N, Wollein W, et al. Effect of training and detraining on the resting echocardiographic parameters in runners and cyclists. J Sports Cardiol 1986; 3: 35–45

    Google Scholar 

  34. Sysler BL, Stull GA. Muscular endurance retention as a function of length of detraining. Res Q 1970; 41 (1): 105–9

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  35. Fringer MN, Stull GA. Changes in cardiorespiratory parameters during periods of training and detraining in young adult females. Med Sci Sports 1974; 6 (1): 20–5

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  36. Shaver LG. Cross-transfer effects of conditioning and deconditioning on muscular strength. Ergonomics 1975; 18 (1): 9–16

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  37. Hodikin AV. Maintaining the training effect during work stoppage. Teoriya i Praktika Fiziocheskoi Kultury 1982; 3: 45–8

    Google Scholar 

  38. Klausen K, Andersen LB, Pelle I. Adaptive changes in work capacity, skeletal muscle capillarization and enzyme levels during training and detraining. Acta Physiol Scand 1981; 113: 9–16

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  39. Chi MM-Y, Hintz CS, Coyle EF, et al. Effect of detraining on enzymes of energy metabolism in individual human muscle fibers. Am J Physiol 1983; 244: C276–87

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  40. Coyle EF, Martin III WH, Sinacore DR, et al. Time course of loss of adaptations after stopping prolonged intense endurance training. J Appl Physiol 1984; 57 (6): 1857–64

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  41. Lacour JR, Denis C. Detraining effects on aerobic capacity. Med Sport Sci 1984; 17: 230–7

    Google Scholar 

  42. Coyle EF, Martin III WH, Bloomfield SA, et al. Effects of detraining on responses to submaximal exercise. J Appl Physiol 1985; 59 (3): 853–9

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  43. Martin III WH, Coyle EF, Bloomfield SA, et al. Effects of physical deconditioning after intense endurance training on left ventricular dimensions and stroke volume. J Am Coll Cardiol 1986; 7 (5): 982–9

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  44. Hawley JA. Physiological responses to detraining in endurance-trained subjects. Aust J Sci Med Sport 1987; 19 (4): 17-20

    Google Scholar 

  45. Coyle EF. Detraining and retention of training-induced adaptations. In: Blair SN, et al., editors. Resource manual for guidelines for exercise testing and prescription. Philadelphia (PA): Lea & Febiger, 1988: 83–9

    Google Scholar 

  46. Coyle EF. Detraining and retention of training-induced adaptations. Sports Sci Exchange 1990; 2 (23): 1–5

    Google Scholar 

  47. Wilber RL, Moffatt RJ. Physiological and biochemical consequences of detraining in aerobically trained individuals. J Strength Cond Res 1994; 8 (2): 110–24

    Google Scholar 

  48. Moore RL, Thacker EM, Kelley GA, et al. Effect of training/detraining on submaximal exercise responses in humans. J Appl Physiol 1987; 63 (5): 1719–24

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  49. Houston ME, Bentzen H, Larsen H. Interrelationships between skeletal muscle adaptations and performance as studied by detraining and retraining. Acta Physiol Scand 1979; 105: 163–70

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  50. Coyle EF, Hemmert MK, Coggan AR. Effects of detraining on cardiovascular responses to exercise: role of blood volume. J Appl Physiol 1986; 60 (1): 95–9

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  51. Ghosh AK, Paliwal R, Sam MJ, et al. Effect of 4 weeks detraining on aerobic and anaerobic capacity of basketball players and their restoration. Indian J Med Res 1987; 86: 522–7

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  52. Houmard JA, Hortobágyi T, Johns RA, et al. Effect of short-term training cessation on performance measures in distance runners. Int J Sports Med 1992; 13 (8): 572–6

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  53. Houmard JA, Hortobágyi T, Neufer PD, et al. Training cessation does not alter GLUT-4 protein levels in human skeletal muscle. J Appl Physiol 1993; 74 (2): 776–81

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  54. Cullinane EM, Sady SP, Vadeboncoeur L, et al. Cardiac size and V̇O2max do not decrease after short-term exercise cessation. Med Sci Sports Exerc 1986; 18 (4): 420–4

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  55. Bangsbo J, Mizuno M. Morphological and metabolic alterations in soccer players with detraining and retraining and their relation to performance. In: Reilly B, Lees A, Davids K, et al., editors. Science and football. Proceedings of the First World Congress of Science and Football; 1987 Apr 12–17; Liverpool, 114–24

    Google Scholar 

  56. Claude AB, Sharp RL. The effectiveness of cycle ergometer training in maintaining aerobic fitness during detraining from competitive swimming. J Swimming Res 1991; 7 (3): 17–20

    Google Scholar 

  57. Ready AE, Eynon RB, Cunningham DA. Effect of interval training and detraining on anaerobic fitness in women. Can J Appl Sport Sci 1981; 6 (3): 114–8

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  58. Pivarnik JM, Senay Jr LC. Effects of exercise detraining and deacclimation to the heat on plasma volume dynamics. Eur J Appl Physiol 1986; 55: 222–8

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  59. Wibom R, Hultman E, Johansson M, et al. Adaptation of mitochondrial ATP production in human skeletal muscle to endurance training and detraining. J Appl Physiol 1992; 73 (5): 2004–10

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  60. Thompson PD, Cullinane EM, Eshleman R, et al. The effects of caloric restriction or exercise cessation on the serum lipid and lipoprotein concentrations of endurance athletes. Metabolism 1984; 33 (10): 943–50

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  61. Shoemaker JK, Green HJ, Ball-Burnett M, et al. Relationships between fluid and electrolyte hormones and plasma volume during exercise with training and detraining. Med Sci Sports Exerc 1998; 30 (4): 497–505

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  62. Madsen K, Pedersen PK, Djurhuus MS, et al. Effects of detraining on endurance capacity and metabolic changes during prolonged exhaustive exercise. J Appl Physiol 1993; 75 (4): 1444–51

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  63. Wang J-S, Jen CJ, Chen H-I. Effects of chronic exercise and deconditioning on platelet function in women. J Appl Physiol 1997; 83 (6): 2080–5

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  64. Mikines KJ, Sonne B, Tronier B, et al. Effects of acute exercise and detraining on insulin action in trained men. J Appl Physiol 1989; 66 (2): 704–11

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  65. Mikines KJ, Sonne B, Tronier B, et al. Effects of training and detraining on dose-response relationship between glucose and insulin secretion. Am J Physiol 1989; 256: E588–96

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  66. Hardman AE, Lawrence JEM, Herd SL. Postprandial lipemia in endurance-trained people during a short interruption to training. J Appl Physiol 1998; 84 (6): 1895–901

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  67. McCoy M, Proietto J, Hargreaves M. Effect of detraining on GLUT-4 protein in human skeletal muscle. J Appl Physiol 1994; 77 (3): 1532–6

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  68. Vukovich MD, Arciero PJ, Kohrt WM, et al. Changes in insulin action and GLUT-4 with 6 days of inactivity in endurance runners. J Appl Physiol 1996; 80 (1): 240–4

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  69. Arciero PJ, Smith DL, Calles-Escandon J. Effects of short-term inactivity on glucose tolerance, energy expenditure, and blood flow in trained subjects. J Appl Physiol 1998; 84 (4): 1365–73

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  70. Simsolo RB, Ong JM, Kern PA. The regulation of adipose tissue and muscle lipoprotein lipase in runners by detraining. J Clin Invest 1993; 92: 2124–30

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  71. Londeree BR. Effect of training on lactate/ventilatory thresholds: a meta-analysis. Med Sci Sports Exerc 1997; 29 (6): 837–43

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  72. Houston ME. Adaptations in skeletal muscle to training and detraining: the role of protein synthesis and degradation. In: Saltin B, editor. Biochemistry of exercise VI. Champaign (IL): Human Kinetics, 1986: 63–74

    Google Scholar 

  73. Hortobágyi T, Houmard JA, Stevenson JR, et al. The effects of detraining on power athletes. Med Sci Sports Exerc 1993; 25 (8): 929–35

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  74. Faigenbaum AD, Westcott WL, Micheli LJ, et al. The effects of strength training and detraining on children. J Strength Cond Res 1996; 10 (2): 109–14

    Article  Google Scholar 

  75. Uppal AK, Singh R. Effect of training and break in training on flexibility of physical education majors. Snipes J 1984; 7 (4): 49–53

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Iñigo Mujika.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Mujika, I., Padilla, S. Detraining: Loss of Training-Induced Physiological and Performance Adaptations. Part I. Sports Med 30, 79–87 (2000). https://doi.org/10.2165/00007256-200030020-00002

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.2165/00007256-200030020-00002

Keywords

Navigation