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PlanB Coaching > Blog > Information > Race Day Peak Performance and The Art of Tapering. How Athletes Optimise Performance Before Racing
For athletes, the weeks and months leading up to a major competition are filled with grueling workouts, meticulous nutrition plans, and relentless discipline. But as race day approaches, something counterintuitive happens—they start to slow down.
This deliberate reduction in training intensity and volume is called tapering, and when done correctly, it can be the difference between a personal best and a disappointing performance. In this blog post, we’ll explore:
What tapering is and why it’s crucial
The science behind tapering’s benefits
Different tapering strategies for endurance vs. strength athletes
Common mistakes athletes make during the taper phase
Tips for maximising taper effectiveness
Whether you’re a runner, swimmer, cyclist, triathlete, or strength athlete, understanding tapering can help you be at peak performance when it matters most.
Tapering is the practice of reducing training load in the final days or weeks before a competition to allow the body to recover, rebuild, and reach peak performance.
Think of it like sharpening a knife—after months of forging the blade (building endurance and strength), you refine the edge (tapering) to ensure it performs flawlessly when needed.
Reduced Volume – Cutting back on mileage, reps, or workout duration.
Maintained Intensity – Keeping some high-effort sessions to stay sharp.
Increased Recovery – More sleep, better nutrition, and lower stress.
Most tapers last between 7 to 21 days, depending on the sport and the athlete’s training history.
At first glance, tapering might seem like laziness—shouldn’t more training equal better performance? But research consistently shows that a well-structured taper leads to:
Intense training causes micro-tears in muscles and depletes glycogen (stored energy).
Tapering allows full recovery, ensuring muscles are fresh and energy stores are maximized.
High-intensity training with reduced volume helps the brain and muscles communicate more efficiently.
This leads to better power output, stride efficiency (for runners), or stroke technique (for swimmers).
Overtraining elevates cortisol (stress hormone) and suppresses testosterone.
Tapering helps rebalance hormones, reducing injury risk and improving mood.
Tapering reduces mental fatigue, preventing burnout before race day.
Many athletes report feeling “fresh” and mentally sharp after a proper taper.
A meta-analysis of 27 studies (Bosquet et al., 2007) found that tapering improves performance by ~3% on average—enough to make a huge difference in competitive sports.
Not all tapers are the same. The ideal approach depends on the sport, event duration, and individual athlete.
Duration: 1-3 weeks
Volume Reduction: 40-60% decrease in mileage
Intensity Maintenance: Include short race-pace intervals to stay sharp
Example: A marathoner might drop from 50 miles/week to 20 miles/week in the final two weeks, with a few 5K-paced strides.
Duration: 7-14 days
Volume Reduction: 50-70% fewer reps
High-Intensity Focus: Short bursts at 90-100% effort to prime fast-twitch muscles
Example: A 100m sprinter might do 3-4 explosive 30m dashes instead of full workouts.
Duration: 7-10 days
Volume Reduction: Drop to ~60% of normal lifting volume
Intensity Maintenance: Work up to near-max singles (90-95%) to maintain neural activation
Example: A powerlifter might do 3 sets of 2 reps at 80% instead of heavy 5x5s.
Even experienced athletes can mess up their taper. Here’s what not to do:
Cutting volume too drastically can lead to detraining.
Not tapering enough leaves you fatigued on race day.
Solution: Follow a structured triathlon taper plan based on your sport’s demands.
Trying new shoes, diets, or workouts during taper increases injury risk.
Solution: Stick to familiar routines—now is not the time for experiments.
Some athletes eat too much (thinking they need extra fuel) or too little (afraid of weight gain).
Solution: Maintain balanced nutrition—slightly increase carbs 2-3 days pre-race if needed.
Reduced training can make athletes feel sluggish, anxious, or irritable.
Solution: Trust the process—this is normal, and performance will peak on race day.
Sleep More – Aim for 8-10 hours per night to optimise recovery.
Hydrate & Carb-Load (If Needed) – Endurance athletes benefit from glycogen loading 2-3 days pre-race.
Stay Mobile – Light stretching, yoga, or foam rolling prevents stiffness.
Visualise Success – Mental rehearsal primes your brain for competition.
Avoid Last-Minute Adjustments – Stick to your plan!
Tapering is both an art and a science. It requires discipline to pull back when every instinct says to push harder, but the results speak for themselves. Whether you’re running a marathon, competing in a powerlifting meet, or racing a triathlon, a smart taper ensures you step to the starting line fully recovered, energised, and ready to perform at your best.
Happy tapering, and good luck on race day! 🚀
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