The identification of physiological, functional and hormonal changes that occur with short-term detraining and retraining in a young, healthy population

The proposed thesis was designed to determine and quantify the markers that accurately underpin the physiological, functional and biological changes throughout a short-term detraining period and to work toward a solution for attenuating any associated declines. Study one aimed to determine the time course of functional and physiological changes that occurred during detraining, in measures of strength and power. The results suggested that recreationally trained individuals can afford up to four weeks of training stoppage with only minor, non-significant performance decrements in strength and power. However, more research should be undertaken in a more homogeneous group. Moreover, the idea of implementing a training stimulus and studying the effects of its removal seemed an appropriate continuation, considering the aforementioned conclusion of study one. Therefore, an investigation is currently being conducted to compare the effects of a three-week, low intensity, strength training intervention with or without blood flow restriction (BFR) in measures of strength and power, in a moderately trained population. A further aim of the study is to examine the effects of the previous training intervention during a short-term detraining period. From these future results, a more mechanistic approach will take place for the final study, with the immobilisation of a limb to study detraining in greater detail.

Scheme A, three-year PhD Scholarship awarded in February 2014

Professor Jonathan Doust