The off-season break: is it really a good idea?

In this article:

• We discover that a break of several weeks is rarely beneficial. 

• We are talking about weight training and complementary training.

• We discover the most effective winter training for cyclists.

Many cyclists take advantage of fall, or even early winter, to take a break from cycling. This is a long-standing tradition in the sport, especially among professionals who need to give their bodies a rest after putting them through rigorous training for months on end.

But what about amateurs, Sunday cyclists, and Saturday heroes? If you're not a pro, should you hang up your bike for several weeks to come back stronger, or does this kind of break actually harm your fitness?

We asked Guy Thibault, distinguished researcher and director of sports science at the Institut national du sport du Québec, to explain what the research says on this subject.

Many cyclists take a month, sometimes even longer, off from training . Some say it's necessary for them and that it improves their performance. But is this really true, or is it just a myth?

There is no universal answer to this question. I have combed through a bunch of scientific research reports that measured the effect of a period of detraining or reduced training on the degree of development of the determinants of cycling performance.
What emerges from this, regarding the effect on fitness, is that... it depends.

So it works for some athletes, but not for others?

Exactly. But it also depends on the length of the break and what you do during it. Basically, if you're a professional athlete or a high-level amateur and you're close to overtraining, not only will you not lose anything, but you'll actually improve if you take this kind of break.

For those who exercise regularly but are not overtrained, there will be no loss of physical condition if they reduce the volume without stopping completely. However, for these same athletes who are not overtrained, a complete four-week break causes a significant decline in the fitness level achieved over the summer.

Technically, how does this loss of form translate?

In those who are not overtrained, several valuable physical qualities diminish after more than four weeks of stopping or significantly reducing training: aerobic capacity (VO2max, maximum aerobic power, endurance), blood volume, volume of blood ejected by the heart with each beat, respiratory efficiency, oxidative muscle enzyme activity, muscle glycogen stores, number of blood capillaries surrounding each muscle cell, etc.

That's why fewer and fewer cyclists are taking a truly complete annual break. Many are turning to complementary aerobic training (running, cross-country skiing, etc.) or muscle training (weight training), while others are pushing themselves to the limit on a home trainer to improve their bike's engine.

And has science been able to determine one way of staying in shape that is more effective than another?

Experts believe that there are several advantages to adding a few weeks of strength training to your annual cycling training program: it increases muscle power, reduces the risk of wear and tear injuries or osteoporosis, improves posture, prevents trauma in the event of a fall, speeds up recovery after a period of convalescence, and allows you to ride significantly higher gears in the spring.

And when it comes to cross training, i.e., complementary activities such as cross-country skiing and running, are they as effective as cycling, or not?

What the research says is simple: it's better to "do cardio" than not to train at all. Now, the better your cycling performance, the less useful complementary training will be, and the more you'll benefit from focusing on pedaling. Of all the winter training programs, the most effective is also the most demanding. It consists of two or three well-structured interval training sessions per week.

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In short, here is what science says:

•  You don't need to take a break or reduce your training volume, unless you are an overtrained athlete.

• If you stop all activity completely for more than two weeks, your fitness level will decline significantly.

• Working out isn't a bad idea.

• Complementary activities aren't bad—they're better than nothing!—but there's no better way to stay in shape specifically for cycling than by doing interval training on an indoor bike.