Detraining by athletes results in decreased effects of many aspects of muscle conditioning in the human body. Detraining changes in enzyme activity, cholesterol levels, oxygen consumption, muscle strength and endurance, and muscle atrophy are demonstrated; exercise benefits may be lost after four to eight weeks of detraining.
The effects of proper training are numerous. Increases motor-skill performance are found; training produces adjustments to the muscles which make them injury-resistant. Exercise produces less muscle protein accumulation in the blood, indicating less tissue damage and muscle soreness for the trained athlete. Increases in energy production, decreases in body fat, decreases in cholesterol levels, and improvement in bone, ligament, and tendon strength are also found in the trained athlete. Training results in increases in enzyme activities; decreases are found with detraining. Detraining results in deficits for all facets of conditioning (Krebs and McAllister, 1992; Wibom, Hultman, Johansson, Matherei, Constantin-Teodosiu, & Schantz, 1992).
The effects of detraining were studied by Koutedakis (1995). In elite competitors, anaerobic parameters such as heart frequencies, subcutaneous fat, flexibility and haemoglobin levels were found to remain unchanged throughout training and detraining periods; however, aerobic metabolism and muscular strength have demonstrated noticeable and unfavorable changes. Plasma hormonal levels also change following detraining. Seasons of training in competitors show no significant changes in flexibility measurements, changes found in novices and in athletes at low competitive levels are also found in children and adolescents engaged in sport, and no differences have been identified between male and female athletes (Koutedakis, 1995).
The effects of competition and detraining are reported by Koutedakis (1995). Body girths were found to be related to physique or body s...