Supercompensation The Best Way To Build The Body You Want!

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By Joburg Post

Coaches and trainers use the term Supercompensation when they plan and construct their training sessions. Using the supercomensation model is a good representation of the training process. Our bodies will always try to maintain a state of homeostasis by adapting to the environmental stresses. With training we manipulate stress application and the adaptation of the body to maintain homeostatis. The desired adaptive response to training is called supercompenstaion. In the post training period the trained parameter will have a higher performance capacity than before.

Supercompensation works with a well known four step process:

The first step is the initial process where a training load gets applied and the body has a reaction to the training with fatigue. A base level of fitness upon entering, shows a decrease after training. A predictable drop-off in performance follows which leads to the second step – the recovery phase. During this phase, recovery training can take place in the form of active rest or just lighter sessions. Energy stores and performance will return to the baseline of the original training stress (state of homeostasis) – as a result of the recovery session.   Step 3 is the supercompensation phase. This is the adaptive rebound above the baseline. The body now rebounds from the lowest point of fatigue. This supercompensation effect is a technical, physiological and psychological response.

The forth step in this process is the loss of the supercompensation effect. – a result of the application of a new training stress. – this occurs at the peak of the supercompensation period. If no training stress is applied, there will be a decline. This is the so-called detraining phenomenon.

Because the body is an adjustable organism, it will feel the need to adjust itself to a higher state, overtraining may occur – too intense training will stop the athlete from getting back to baseline and no supercompensation will occur.

Training with correct volume, intensity and frequency during the spercompensation period, will advance the body to a higher level of fitness. Very easy training will lead to little adaptive response. Should the next workout take place after the supercompensation period, the body will also remain at base level. Should extremely easy training take place over several training cycles, the principle of reversibility will take effect – “use it of lose it”

A prerequisite for supercompensation to take place, is a healthy athlete with adequate training load, training stress as well as good timing. Different coaches apply different extensions of the supercompensation model e.g. the two factor theory. “According to the two-factor theory of training, the time intervals between consecutive training sessions should be selected so that all the negative traces of the preceding workout pass out of existence but the positive fitness gain persists “ (Zatsiorsky 1995, p.15) The training effect of every workout has the two factors, fitness and fatigue, in common. You want to create long term quality changes over time and keep the fatigue as a short term effect. Experience assists in the understanding of different effects of training to different athletes and the effect thereof. Once you can determine how long it takes to reach the base fitness and the rest periods that is necessary, you can start manipulating training to get to the supercompensation status. Once you know how long it takes you to get to the supercompensation period, you continue with the intensity level that was determined. Have knowledge of the recovery times of the different bodily functions as well as the different times to reach peak supercompensation.

The replenishment of creatine phosphate will take only a few seconds to a couple of minutes to return to normal levels, but the glycogen-reloading process in the muscle may last 24 hours; in some cases, it may last even longer. The production of new enzymes (proteins) may also take hours, sometimes even days, to complete (Olbrecht 2000).

Coaches with a superior knowledge of periodization will have an advantage in reaching supercompensation with athletes.   The only way you will master the art of working out the timing of the various components to perfect the adaptation curves will be with experience.

Practice makes Perfect

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