Wanted to share this because rarely have I seen a journalist write about periodization in a way that is both correct and applied to how it impacts team performance. The context of the tweets surrounds Arsenal FC, but it's interesting what it says about performance. A short thread about fitness.— Jane Cavendish (@jcav90) November 21, 2017 Periodization is the way training is organised to attain the best performance levels during the season at the right times.— Jane Cavendish (@jcav90) November 21, 2017 The 12 month macrocycle (pre-season, competition, transition) is broken down into mesocycles (2-6 weeks) which emphasise different adaptions.— Jane Cavendish (@jcav90) November 21, 2017 Very broadly, an athlete can build to 2 peaks of fitness during the year. The type & intensity of work in a block of training will have consequences later on in the season.— Jane Cavendish (@jcav90) November 21, 2017 A football season is long. It’s impossible to be at the same physical level for all 38 games.— Jane Cavendish (@jcav90) November 21, 2017
For 6 out of the last 12 years Arsenal’s most important game of the season (financially) was in August (CL qualifier) hence the need for an immediate peak of fitness.— Jane Cavendish (@jcav90) November 21, 2017 Even when we qualified automatically, we still had important, high intensity midweek CL games early in the season.— Jane Cavendish (@jcav90) November 21, 2017
Playing only one match a week is obviously an advantage. But so also is not having adjust periodization for the block of CL group matches Sept-Nov.— Jane Cavendish (@jcav90) November 21, 2017 This was a problem last season. When we played Everton & City away in December, the players hit the wall. Second half at Goodison, some players just couldn’t run any more.— Jane Cavendish (@jcav90) November 21, 2017 The logical plan for an English football season is to aim for the 1st peak during the Xmas period & 2nd towards the end of the season in May.— Jane Cavendish (@jcav90) November 21, 2017 This season we looked undercooked in August, we’d all prefer to forget the debacle at Anfield. But we’re starting to see the benefits now.— Jane Cavendish (@jcav90) November 21, 2017
We looked very fit on Saturday. Ozil, Bellerin & especially Ramsey were standout performers. Ramsey still making 40 m maximal sprints after 80 mins.— Jane Cavendish (@jcav90) November 21, 2017 The substitutions of Lacazette & Ozil were perfectly timed as they each ran out of gas. The booing of Lacazette sub was moronic on several levels.— Jane Cavendish (@jcav90) November 21, 2017 (quick aside: ignore total distance run, it’s a meaningless stat in football, clubs don’t even measure it any more. Look at sprints & time to recover instead)— Jane Cavendish (@jcav90) November 21, 2017 We look well placed now to execute our high pressing, high energy style, at least until our 1st team start playing Europa League knockout games. I hope we do.— Jane Cavendish (@jcav90) November 21, 2017
We have a relatively kind Xmas schedule this year. Number of recovery days is hugely important. We have 2 recovery days between each game.— Jane Cavendish (@jcav90) November 21, 2017
I am not favorably impressed with anything she said. The last tweet is an example, calling 2 days between games any sort of "kind" tells me a lot. Any discussion about periodization should begin with understanding that there is limited scientific support for it despite it being widely accepted for all athletic circumstances. https://www.strongerbyscience.com/periodization-history-theory/ Finally it doesn't apply to technical, tactical, or mental aspects, which makes it for practical purposes irrelevant to preadolescent training.
There are lots of other coaches who train teens and beyond. 48 hours after a match of recovery is the minimum required—that's why she says it. Mourinho is an extensive practitioner of periodization. Right off the bat, using the USSR as an example of pre/post periodization methods is tainted because they were doping extensively. Doping, essentially, shortens the recovery time, so was periodization even "correct" for the individuals in question? Which isn't to say that today's professional footballer isn't doping. They probably are.
My understanding is that the studies have shown adult players need 72 hours after a full match to replenish energy systems. The problem with the early literature is not primarily related to recovery. Performance gains in weight training in secretly doped athletes (steroids if I remember correctly) was attributed to a new "periodization" theory to organize weight training. This was done to cover up the unexpectedly high performance gains that result from secret drug use. So it had more to do with total strength gains then energy recovery. Other nations were unable to duplicate the results that the Soviet athletes got using periodization. That is because at the time they didn't know about the secret government-sponsored drug program. So of course they failed to get the same results. In soccer the types of drugs often used are stimulants during matches. For example antihistamines (illegal) and caffeine (legal). I am not saying there isn't any steroid abuse.
She's not saying that 2 days is great. She's saying it's better than a lot of teams get. It's not uncommon for EPL teams to play something crazy like 5 games in 14 days around Christmastime. The difference between a full 48 hours off and something less than that is absolutely a benefit relatively speaking. Everyone knows the schedule is bullshit, but they sold their TV rights for billions so they have do what they're told.
You are correct. She did not say it was great. From the context of her tweets ("kind" schedule and "well placed" to play a high tempo style) tells me that she is a fan and knows the vocabulary, but doesn't know the sport. I know I am making a huge inductive leap on little information, but that is what I do and why I didn't say in the previous post what my conclusion was. The EPL teams handle the extra competitions by having large rosters. Roster size is an advantage that Mexican teams have over MLS teams in confederation competitions.