Use It Or Lose It
Nicole Chatten • March 6, 2021
The Effects of Detraining and Inactivity
Use it or lose it. A saying that gets thrown around often, but what does it really mean? Throughout the past year Coronavirus has made it extremely difficult to workout, stay motivated and keep training. If you have taken a short or a long break from training, do you really know what this is doing to your body and fitness gains you have previously made?
The principle of detraining explains the partial or complete loss of training induced anatomical, physiological and performance adaptations. This detraining happens at different speeds and intensities for cardiovascular systems vs. strength adaptations.
STRENGTH LOSSES
Strength can be maintained for 3-4 weeks but is gradually lost with longer periods without exercise (Ochi, et al., 2018). When we return to the gym, it has been shown that it is easier to regain our strength and muscle mass due to quicker neural adaptation; what everyone calls ‘muscle memory’. In order to maintain strength, an individual must train once per week to maintain strength over 8-12 weeks (Ronnestad, Nymark, & Raastad, 2011; Travares, et al., 2017).
CARDIOVASCULAR LOSSES
Endurance and cardiovascular detraining occur at faster speeds compared to strength loss. Endurance athletes can see decreases of 4-25% within 3-4 weeks, while beginners can see decreases in as little as 2 weeks (Bosquet, Mujika, 2012). It will take longer to regain these losses for the cardiovascular system, with timelines around 4 weeks. To maintain endurance, lower training volume by 60-90% and frequency by 50-70% with the same intensity (Mujika, & Padilla, 2000).
Detraining affects both males and females equally (Lemmer, et al., 2000). However, age has been shown to influence detraining outcomes. After 12 weeks of inactivity and no training, older individuals have shown greater rates of detraining compared to younger individuals (Lemmer, et al., 2000).
TAKE ACTION
To curve the effects of detraining during injury, remember that there are many alternatives to your usual training routine. For example, if you have an injury, you can still train the upper or lower body depending on the type of injury. In consideration of lockdowns and gym closures during Covid, you can always use your body weight to train strength rather than dumbbells and getting outside for cardio instead machines is another option.
When it comes to ensuring maintenance of your fitness progress, be flexible and open to trying new things. That way you will not be susceptible to detraining and who knows, you may end up finding something new that you really enjoy. A break can be a good thing, but don’t stop training for long periods of time. Decreasing intensity, time, frequency and loads in our workouts are ultimately better alternatives to complete cessation of training. Remember, training should be fun and provide physiological and psychological benefits, so don’t stress yourself out over having to take a week off here and there.
“In lockdown 1 I tried to maintain fitness by lots of walking through the neighborhood. With dark Winter evenings that wasn’t an attractive option in lockdown 2, so I decided to try online training. With no home gym I was a little skeptical on what the sessions could achieve. However I’ve been pleasantly surprised and pleased with the results to date. With just a yoga mat, some resistance bands, an exercise ball (all courtesy of Amazon) and some space in the downstairs den, the Nova team has designed training sessions that help me keep progressing towards my objectives. I can now be confident that when I get back to the gym in person, there will have been no backsliding in fitness levels”.
-Rosalind Messer
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References:
Bosquet, L., Mujika, I. (2012). Detraining. Research Gate.
Lemmer, J.T., Hurlbut, D.E., Martel, G. F., Tracy, B L., Ivey, F. M., Metter, E. J., … & Hurley B. F., (2000). Age and gender responses to strength training and detraining. Medicine and science in sports and exercise, 32(8), 1505-1512.
Mujika, I., & Padilla, S. (2000). Detraining: Loss of training induced physiological and performance adaptations. Part II. Sports Medicine, 30(3), 145-154.
Ochi, E., Maruno, M., Tsuchiya, Y., Ishii, N., Miura, K., & Sasaki, K. (2018). Higher training frequency is important for gaining muscular strength under volume-matched training. Frontiers in physiology, 9, 744
Ronnestad, B. R., Nymark, B. S., & Raastad, T. (2011). Effects of in-season strength maintenance training frequency in professional soccer players. The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 25(10), 2653-2660.
Travares, L. D., de Souza, E, O., Ugrinowitsch, C., Laurentino G. C., Roschel, H., Aihara, A. Y., … & Tricoli, V. (2017). Effects of different strength training frequencies during reduced training period on strength and muscle cross-sectional area. European Journal of sports science, 17(6), 665-672.
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