Abstract
The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a seven-day taper for the 3000 m Time Trial (TT) in middle- and long-distance runners in junior high school on their running time and psychological fatigue when they performed a 1000 m run at 110% intensity of their 3000 m race paces during a fourth- or sixth-day period from the start of the taper. The results showed no significant difference in the 3000 m TT time after the 1000 m run on the fourth or sixth day of the tapering period. In addition, the factor score of the fatigue scale on the day of the 3000 m TT measured by the Profile of Mood States 2nd Edition (POMS2) was significantly lower than that on the first day of the tapering period. These results suggest that seven days of tapering, including high-intensity running at 1000m, may be beneficial for junior high school runners to reduce psychological fatigue and maintain running time. Therefore, it was suggested that it is necessary to flexibly determine the timing of high-intensity training before TT according to the fatigue level of the individual.
