What is the deliberate manipulation of training variables called?

What is the deliberate manipulation of training variables called?

• A. Periodisation
• B. Macrocycle
• C. Mesocycle
• D. Microcycle

Answer: (A)

Periodisation is the deliberate planning and variation of training variables—like intensity, volume, frequency, and recovery—over time to bring about specific adaptations and peak performance for a target event. It breaks the training year into cycles: a macrocycle that covers the whole season or year, mesocycles spanning several weeks to a few months, and microcycles typically lasting about a week. By adjusting these variables within and between cycles, athletes progress, avoid overtraining, and taper effectively for competition. The other terms describe the different cycle lengths themselves, not the overall process of planning and manipulating training loads.

Periodisation is the deliberate planning and variation of training variables—like intensity, volume, frequency, and recovery—over time to bring about specific adaptations and peak performance for a target event. It breaks the training year into cycles: a macrocycle that covers the whole season or year, mesocycles spanning several weeks to a few months, and microcycles typically lasting about a week. By adjusting these variables within and between cycles, athletes progress, avoid overtraining, and taper effectively for competition. The other terms describe the different cycle lengths themselves, not the overall process of planning and manipulating training loads.