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Study note

The effect of tapering period on plasma pro-inflammatory cytokine levels and performance in elite male cyclists.

Updated Oct 17, 2026

Population not classified in the source recordJournal of sports science & medicine2009Read the source on PubMed

What the study found

Performance improved after reduced training volume. Lower post-exercise inflammatory markers were reported after three weeks of tapering, but not after one week.

Participants and protocol

Twenty-four trained male cyclists were allocated to continued training or a volume-reduction group after eight weeks of progressive endurance work.

What this cannot establish

Blood-marker differences do not demonstrate fewer infections or a guaranteed recovery benefit. The abstract's performance-test description is unclear, so it should not support a precise race-time forecast.

Publication details
Record
PubMed 24149602
Publication types
research-article
Source record checked
2026-10-18

Publication type and subject indexing describe the record; they are not a quality grade or proof of a benefit. An abstract does not replace a review of the full methods and results.

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