How quickly do strength and endurance decline when we stop training? Regular training is essential to improving strength, fitness, and achieving better results. But what happens when we suddenly stop training? Are all our efforts wasted? In this article, I will explain how quickly various physical abilities decline when we stop training, and how we can counteract these processes.
What are residual training effects?
Residual Training Effects (RTE) is simply the ability of our body to maintain certain adaptations developed during training – even when we take a break. Each motor characteristic, such as maximal strength, endurance or speed, has its “shelf life”. It is this period that determines how quickly the training effects disappear after the exercise is stopped.
How long do we retain motor skills?
The data collected indicates that different abilities have different shelf lives. These are the ones that determine how quickly strength and fitness decline when we stop training. Below is a table based on scientific research and the ExRx.net source, which shows how long we can expect to maintain the effects we have developed:
| Motor skill | Duration |
| Maximal Strength | 30 days |
| Strength Endurance | 15 days |
| Power | 5-7 days |
| Aerobic Endurance | 30 days |
| Anaerobic Endurance | 18 days |
For example, if we don’t do strength training for a month, our maximum strength will remain at a fairly stable level. However, speed and explosiveness (key in many sports, including mountain biking) fade much faster – after just a few days.
Why do motor skills decline?
Understanding the causes of loss of capacity can help you better plan your training and recovery. Some of the key factors include:
- Lack of training stimulus: Without regular exercise, your body stops adapting to the demands of your workout.
- Reduced enzyme activity: Enzymes responsible for aerobic or anaerobic performance become less active.
- Loss of neuromuscular synchronization: Your brain and muscles “forget” how to work together effectively during intense exercise.
How to prevent loss of motor skills?
We can’t always train as hard as we’d like – life, injuries, and other obligations can get in the way. Fortunately, there are strategies that can help minimize losses:
- Maintenance training:
- Even a small amount of training can prevent declines. For example, research shows that one training session per week is enough to maintain maximal strength.
- Focus on key abilities:
- If you know that your training breaks will be short, focus on explosiveness and speed, which decay the fastest.
- Alternate training:
- If you can’t do a full workout, it’s worth introducing lower-intensity exercises, such as cycling instead of running, or using occlusive training (BFR).
Summary
Training breaks are inevitable, but they don’t have to be devastating. The key is to understand how quickly different abilities decline and to respond appropriately to changing conditions. Planning maintenance workouts and using strategies to minimize losses will help you maintain the results of your work—even when life forces you to take a break.
Remember, your body is a dynamic system. Give it a boost, and it will reward you with improved performance, strength, and conditioning when you get back to full speed.
Referencje
- Bondarchuk AP (1981). The physical preparation designing in power disciplines of track and field. Kiev: Health Publisher (Zdorovie, Russian).
- Counsilman BE, Counsilman J (1991). The residual effects of training. Journal of Swimming Research, 7, 5-12.
- Issurin V (2010). New horizons for the methodology and physiology of training periodization. Sports Med. 40: 189-206.
- Issurin V, Kaverin V (1985). Planning and design of annual preparation cycle in canoeing. In ‘Grebnoj Sport” (Rowing, Canoeing, Kayaking), Ph.S.; Moscow, 25-29.
- Slobounov SM (2008). Injuries in Athletics, Causes and Consequences, Springer, 25-43