Description

Reaching A Performance Plateau

The Performance Plateau….have you ever reached it? Do you know what it is?

This phenomenon is commonly defined as a plateau in sports performance occurring when the body begins to adjust and adapt to the demands of the exercise being performed, therefore the athlete sees very little or no benefit from their training.

To further our understanding of this subject this episode will:

1. Outline what exactly it is and why it may occur
2. Focus on food and nutrition as one approach to help overcome the Performance Plateau. Then we will focus on
3. Give some food and nutrition ideas, as well as some training ideas to put in place to help you overcome, or prevent you experiencing a Performance Plateau

SHOW NOTES:

(04:01)

Defining the Performance Plateau Effect which, in science, is thought to evolve from the muscle-nerve-axis-associated performance and various cardiorespiratory parameters including VO2 Max but commonly recognised as when the body adjusts to the exercise being completed therefore the athlete no longer sees any performance benefits from their training.  

Moving on to explain WHY it is thought to occur and debating whether it should be seen as a positive or developmental stage of training.

(11:39)

Discussing some signs and symptoms that could suggest a performance plateau has been reached including:

• Running performance has stalled
• Body composition is not changing 
• Training feels easy
• Overuse and/or repetitive strain injury is an issue

Outlining some potential risk factors for the performance plateau occurring such as:

• Diet and nutrition
• Age
• Gender
• Genetics
• Overtraining

(15:10)

FEMALE FACTORS:

There is a known gender specific difference in the VO2 Max plateau with females having an earlier plateau than men. (Remember, VO2 Max is the maximum or optimum rate at which the heart, lungs, and muscles can effectively use oxygen during exercise). 

VO2 Max forms part of the cardiorespiratory system associated with a performance plateau. So, it would appear that women may reach a performance plateau earlier than men as a result of reaching a VO2 Max plateau sooner than men 

NOTE: This information also highlights the fact that at some point EVERY athlete would potentially reach a performance plateau that they cannot overcome because it is dictated by maximum physiological capacity.  

(18:55)

Delving into aspects of diet and nutrition that may contribute to the development of or help prevent the performance plateau effect occurring with a more detailed Focus on Nutrition Periodisation using the micro, meso, macro cycle concept:

Micro-cycle - This phase focuses on the changes in training and nutrition that occur in approximately one week.

Meso-cycle - This phase is seen as a small collection of micro-cycles that represent similar training or nutritional goals.

Macro-cycle - This phase is based around a much larger training block, encompassing anything from 3 to 6 months depending on the type of event the training is for. Or, this phase could be introduced during ‘out of race’ season. 

(29:20)

Looking at specific nutrients and how they may help prevent a runner reaching a performance plateau. Carbohydrate– known to be a limiting factor in sports performance, therefore could influence the development of the performance plateau effect if inadequate amounts consumed 

Protein – Running, especially endurance running is known to lead to catabolic effects on muscle therefore adequate protein is required to maintain...