Performance changes in world-class kayakers following two different training periodization models

This study was undertaken to compare training-induced changes in selected physiological, body composition and performance variables following two training periodization models: traditional (TP) versus block periodization (BP). Ten world-class kayakers were assessed four times during a training cycle over two consecutive seasons. On each occasion, subjects completed an incremental test to exhaustion on the kayak ergometer to determine peak oxygen uptake (VO_2peak), VO₂ at second ventilatory threshold (VO₂ VT2), peak blood lactate, paddling speed at VO_2peak (PS_peak) and VT2 (PS_VT2), power output at VO_2peak (Pw_peak) and VT2 (Pw_VT2), stroke rate at VO_2peak (SR_peak) and VT2 (SR_VT2) as well as heart rate at VO_2peak and VT2. Volume and exercise intensity were quantified for each endurance training session. Both TP and BP cycles resulted in similar gains in VO_2peak (11 and 8.1%) and VO₂ VT2 (9.8 and 9.4%), even though the TP cycle was 10 weeks and 120 training hours longer than the BP cycle. Following BP paddlers experienced larger gains in PS_peak, Pw_peak and SR_peak than those observed with TP. These findings suggest that BP may be more effective than TP for improving the performance of highly trained top-level kayakers. Although both models allowed significant improvements of selected physiological and kayaking performance variables, the BP program achieved similar results with half the endurance training volume used in the TP model. A BP design could be a more useful strategy than TP to maintain the residual training effects as well as to achieve greater improvements in certain variables related to kayaking performance.