The Detraining Effect: Scientific Mechanisms and Practical Applications

The detraining effect refers to the phenomenon in which athletes experience fluctuations in physical fitness, negative impacts on psychological state and physical health due to improper cessation or tapering of training, thereby producing adverse effects on sports performance. Through a comprehensive examination of the scientific mechanisms, influencing factors, and application strategies of the detraining effect, it is found that improper detraining can have negative impacts on multiple physiological systems of athletes, including decreased cardiopulmonary function, weakened metabolic capacity, reduced musculoskeletal function, hormone imbalance, weakened immune function, and decreased neural regulatory ability. The detraining effect is influenced by a variety of factors during the detraining period, such as the type of training protocol, duration, characteristics of a particular sport, and individual differences. To mitigate the negative impact of detraining effect, it is recommended to adopt countermeasures such as training protocol adjustments, accurate load control, suitable recovery strategies, precise nutritional support, and efficient psychological regulation. In the future, there is an urgent need to delve into the adaptation characteristics and scientific mechanisms of athletes of different sports, levels and genders in response to improper detraining. Meanwhile, comprehensive monitoring of the detraining process should be strengthened to reduce the negative effects of improper detraining and continuously explore the reasonable application of proper cessation of training in addressing overtraining syndrome, scientific tapering before competitions, and efficient adjustment of training rhythms, providing theoretical support and application guidelines for precise regulation of training protocols and efficient tapping of athletic potential.