Why An Off-Season is Critical to Performance

Every sport has an end season (even motocross!) and once the season is over, it is time to rest and recover physically and mentally. Without proper rest there can be negative long-term ramifications such as injury or burn out.

If anything positive came out of the coronavirus pandemic, it is that people turned their energy and focus to becoming healthier through fitness, nutrition, and rest, with the goal of long-term wellness rather than short-term chiseled abs or personal records.  At Complete Racing Solutions, our mantra has always been health, wellness, then performance. Exercise is a great habit to have within your daily life; however, when it becomes an obsession, it can actually become counter-productive to your overall health.  Excessive training (in the form of volume and/or intensity) without adequate rest and recovery causes the body to become “numb” to external indicators of over training such as mood swings, simple sugar cravings, interrupted sleep, loss of sex drive, loss of body weight, suppressed appetite an elevated resting heart rate, and most important in today’s climate, a compromised immune system.

Research indicates that after 12 weeks of consistent training or exercise, Cytochome C (a mitochondrial enzyme involved in the production of energy at a cellular level), reaches a peak and then beings to decline. In addition to Cytochrome C levels, so does your maximum oxygen uptake (also known as your VO2 Max.).  At this point, the body must be allowed to rest and re-group for continued progress. When athletes truly invest in an off-season (as part of periodization), the off-season practice period can return significant dividends if done correctly.

Training creates adaptations within the body’s various systems (muscular, cardio-pulmonary, lymphatic, nervous and connective) and needs to be supported with rest and food for positive adaptations.  Inadequate amounts (and quality) of sleep and food set the body up for a physical break down which leads to negative effects on the body (i.e. suppressed immune system and muscles with less power and endurance).

In addition to adaptations within the body’s systems, training causes changes at a cellular level – cell mitochondria swell, metabolic wastes accumulate, essential nutrients (particularly electrolytes and stored glycogen) deplete, and muscle tissue is torn.  This tearing is known as microtrauma of the cells, and torn muscle tissue doesn’t work efficiently.  As popularly noted, it takes 48 hours for the body to recover from this micro-trauma and has to be supported with rest and food for proper recovery and improved overall health.

If the body doesn’t get the opportunity to rebuild from the intense work phases of training, overall health and associated performance begin to slow down (and in extreme circumstances, cease all together).

During the off-season, the emphasis must be transferred from “training” to simply having fun riding your dirt bike, mountain bike, or any other physical activity. It is important to find an enjoyable way to get exercise as to avoid becoming burnt-out or injured. All in all, the off-season is important regardless of the sport because it is a time to rest, develop, improve, and focus on skills that directly and indirectly affect competitive performance. Those that don’t invest in the off-season start the new season tired and spent, while those healthy will be able to continue and prosper.

The key to overcoming your fear of taking time off is to understand how much it will help, rather than hinder, your performance.  Think about it this way, if you are not fresh, you will not have the energy (or desire) to push to the next level of performance.  If your body doesn’t experience the next level, you will begin to stagnate within your performance cycles. So, when it is time to rest and recover, don’t ignore it! Remember, that rest allows your body to recover, rebuild, and ultimately become stronger and healthier.