Resumen de Modeling the Residual Effects and Threshold Saturation of Training: a Case Study of Olympic Swimmers

Philippe Hellard, Marta Avalos, Grégoire Millet, Lucien Lacoste, Jean-Claude Chatard, Frederic Barale

• The aim of this study was to model the residual effects of training on the swimming performance and to compare a model that includes threshold saturation (MM) with the Banister model (BM). Seven Olympic swimmers were studied over a period of 4 ± 2 years. For 3 training loads (low-intensity wLIT, high-intensity wHIT, and strength training wST), 3 residual training effects were determined: short-term (STE) during the taper phase (i.e., 3 weeks before the performance [weeks 0, 1, and 2]), intermediate-term (ITE) during the intensity phase (weeks 3, 4, and 5), and long-term (LTE) during the volume phase (weeks 6, 7, and 8). ITE and LTE were positive for wHIT and wLIT, respectively (p < 0.05). Low-intensity training load during taper was related to performances by a parabolic relationship (p < 0.05). Different quality measures indicated that MM compares favorably with BM. Identifying individual training thresholds may help individualize the distribution of training loads.