The Psychology of Athletic Tapering in Sport: A Scoping Review

Abstract

Taper is a common training strategy used to reduce fatigue and enhance athletic performance. However, currently, no review has summarised what psychological research has been conducted examining taper, what this research shows and what future research needs to be undertaken to extend the field. Consequently, a scoping review was conducted with three aims: (a) to determine the characteristics of psychological research examining taper, (b) to summarise psychological research collected during taper with adult athletes and coaches, and (c) to identify gaps in psychological research examining taper. Forty-eight articles were identified following an exhaustive search strategy and charted following scoping review guidelines. Results showed most research was quantitative, used a longitudinal design, was conducted in swimming, triathlon, cycling or across multiple sports, and used a university-, regional- or national-level male athlete sample. Eight themes were developed to summarise the research: Mood, Perception of Effort, Perceived Fatigue and Wellness, Recovery-Stress, Taper as a Stressor, Stress Tolerance, Psychological Preparation and Cognitive Functioning. Additionally, four research recommendations were identified: (a) conducting exploratory research that examines the impact taper has on athletes’ and coaches’ competition preparation and stress experience, (b) asking more advanced psychological questions and conducting multi-disciplinary research, (c) including a more diverse participant sample in studies and (d) examining the impact of psychological interventions during taper. Overall, this scoping review has highlighted the limited research examining the psychology of taper and the need for focused research that asks more complex questions across diverse populations.

Optimizing performance and mood state in competitive swimmers through tapering strategies

“…Our results revealed significant correlation ( r = −0.63) between total mood disturbance and swimming performance in the experiment group. In fact, improving mood (i.e., tension, depression and fatigue) could positively affect cognitive (e.g., concentration, attention, reflex) and somatic (physical freshness, energy, resistance to fatigue) abilities, which promotes fitness in competitive athletes ( Coutts et al, 2007a , b ; Stone et al, 2023 ). In addition, the increase in vigor and total mood disturbance could be motivating factors during the physical performance test ( Sahli et al, 2020 ; Aydi et al, 2022 ).…”

“…Therefore, some negative effects (e.g., muscle fatigue, mental fatigue and injury) may appear during these preparatory training sessions ( De Martino and Rodeo, 2018 ; Chortane et al, 2022 ). For this reason, tapering is a common training strategy used to reduce fatigue and improve athletic performance ( Bachelor et al, 2023 ; Stone et al, 2023 ). In fact, up until now, tapering strategies in swimming require even more insight and information (e.g., optimal training volume and intensity, training frequency) and more specifically their effects on psychological state of competitive swimmers.…”

“…Tapering period (1 to 3 weeks) positively affected psychological status (i.e., mood, wellness, anxiety, and stress) in several sports (e.g., rugby, cycling, triathletes, and tennis) ( O’Connor et al, 1989 ; Coutts et al, 2007a , b ). Reduction of psychological and physical fatigue after tapering may be an important factor in improving the mental state of competitive athletes ( Bachelor et al, 2023 ; Stone et al, 2023 ). In addition, a tapering period (2-week) characterized by a progressive decrease in training volume and maintenance of training intensity resulted in a decrease in rating of perceived exertion (RPE, 25.3%), which, improved perceived ratings of wellness (25.6 to 32.5%) and 20-m swimming performance (2.1%) [10] ( Botonis et al, 2019 ).…”

“…Mood state is a very frequent factor in the assessment of psychological state in competitive athletes ( Bijukumar, 2021 ; Selmi et al, 2023 ; Stone et al, 2023 ). Several factors can affect mood such as training load (i.e., volume, intensity and frequency of training) ( Selmi et al, 2020 ; Fields et al, 2021 ) In fact, physiological (i.e., muscular and cardiorespiratory adaptation, energy) and mental (i.e., concentration, attention and alertness) responses could affect mood state in competitive athletes ( Beedie et al, 2000 ; Hashim and Hanafi Ahmad Yusof, 2011 ; Bijukumar, 2021 ).…”

“…On the other hand, total mood disturbance and POMS subscales are reliable predictors of sports performance in several sports (e.g., tennis, football, and triathlon) ( Lochbaum et al, 2021 ). More specifically, the improvement of certain POMS subscales (i.e., tension, depression and fatigue) could promote mental and physical state, which positively affects sports performance in high-level training athletes ( Selmi et al, 2023 ; Stone et al, 2023 ). Mood state in swimmers could be influenced by training volume.…”