Tapering Strategy Research Articles

Tapering Practices of New Zealand's Elite Raw Powerlifters.

Pritchard, HJ, Tod, DA, Barnes, MJ, Keogh, JW, and McGuigan, MR. Tapering practices of New Zealand's elite raw powerlifters. J Strength Cond Res 30(7): 1796-1804, 2016-The major aim of this study was to determine tapering strategies of elite powerlifters. Eleven New Zealand powerlifters (28.4 ± 7.0 years, best Wilks score of 431.9 ± 43.9 points) classified as elite were interviewed, using semistructured interviews, about their tapering strategies. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and content analyzed. Total training volume peaked 5.2 ± 1.7 weeks from competition while average training intensity (of 1 repetition maximum) peaked 1.9 ± 0.8 weeks from competition. During tapering, volume was reduced by 58.9 ± 8.4% while intensity was maintained (or slightly reduced) and the final weight training session was performed 3.7 ± 1.6 days out from competition. Participants generally stated that tapering was performed to achieve full recovery; that accessory work was removed around 2 weeks out from competition; and deadlifting takes longer to recover from than other lifts. Typically participants stated that trial and error, and changes based on "feel" were the sources of tapering strategies; equipment used and movements performed during tapering are the same as in competition; nutrition was manipulated during the taper (for weight cutting or performance aims); and poor tapering occurred when too long (1 week or more) was taken off training. These results suggest that athletes may benefit from continuing to strength train before important events with reduced volume and maintained intensity. Only exercises that directly assist sports performance should remain in the strength program during tapering, to assist with reductions in fatigue while maintaining/improving strength expression and performance.

Anti-TNF discontinuation and tapering strategies in patients with axial spondyloarthritis: a systematic literature review.

The aim was to evaluate whether anti-TNF discontinuation and tapering strategies are efficacious for maintaining remission or low disease activity (LDA) in patients with axial spondyloarthritis. A systematic literature review up to September 2014 was performed using Medline, EMBASE and Cochrane databases. Longitudinal studies evaluating the efficacy of discontinuation/tapering of anti-TNF therapy to maintain clinical response achieved after receiving a standard dose of the same drug were included. The results were grouped according to the type of strategy (discontinuation or tapering) evaluated. Thirteen studies out of 763 retrieved citations were included. Overall, published data are scarce and the level of evidence of the studies is weak. Five studies provided evidence for assessing discontinuation strategy. The frequency of patients developing flare during the follow-up period ranged between 76 and 100%. The median (range) follow-up period was 52 (36-52) weeks and time to flare 16 (6-24) weeks. Additionally, eight studies evaluating tapering strategy were selected. The percentage of patients maintaining LDA or remission was reported in five studies and ranged between 53 and 100%. The remaining three studies reported the mean change in BASDAI and CRP after reducing the anti-TNF dose and did not observe any relevant increase in these parameters. Published data indicate that a tapering strategy for anti-TNF therapy is successful in maintaining remission or LDA in most patients with axial spondyloarthritis. However, a discontinuation strategy is not recommended because it leads to flare in most cases. Further studies with an appropriate design covering the whole spectrum of the disease are required to confirm these results.

Drug levels, immunogenicity and assessment of active sacroiliitis in patients with axial spondyloarthritis under biologic tapering strategy.

The aim of the study was to assess drug levels, immunogenicity and sacroiliitis on MRI in patients with axial spondyloarthritis under biologic tapering strategy. Consecutive patients with axial spondyloarthritis who remained in low disease activity more than 1year after dose tapering of infliximab and adalimumab were included. Plasma drug concentrations of TNF inhibitors and anti-drug antibodies were determined, and MRI of sacroiliac joints was evaluated. Of twenty patients included, eighteen had therapeutic drug levels, no patient had anti-drug antibodies, and no patient had active sacroiliitis on MRI. These data could support the biologic tapering strategy and their maintenance over time.

Effects of detraining on neuromuscular performance in a selected group of elite women pole-vaulters: a case study.

to determine the effects of 28 days of inactivity on neuromuscular performance of elite women pole-vaulters. Four athletes undertook measurements of rate of force development (RFD), unloaded and loaded vertical jump tests, drop jumps and a 45 m sprint test before and after a transition period of planned inactivity. The RFD and the ability to accelerate over very short distances (5 m) while sprinting improved after training cessation. Acceleration over longer distances (5-45 m) was impaired, while unloaded and loaded vertical jump tests suffered trivial to small changes. Therefore, we conclude that detraining periods of approximately one month or even longer may be implemented in elite pole-vaulters without significantly impairing performance. In addition, given that some neuromechanical capacities are enhanced after training reduction, our results can help coaches to implement tapering strategies in order to induce neuromuscular improvements and/or to achieve peak performance.

The Effect of Melatonin on Benzodiazepine Discontinuation and Sleep Quality in Adults Attempting to Discontinue Benzodiazepines: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Abrupt discontinuation of benzodiazepines often results in side effects including anxiety and insomnia, which can be barriers to discontinuation among long-term users. Melatonin improves the onset, duration, and quality of sleep. By preventing insomnia in those attempting to discontinue benzodiazepines, melatonin may facilitate benzodiazepine discontinuation. The primary objective was to determine the effect of melatonin compared with placebo on benzodiazepine discontinuation in adults attempting to discontinue benzodiazepines. The secondary objective was to determine the effect of melatonin on sleep quality in this population. We searched PubMed, MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsychINFO, and ClinicalTrials.gov from inception to November 2014. We included randomized controlled trials published in English comparing melatonin with placebo that reported benzodiazepine discontinuation or sleep quality. Two reviewers independently screened trials, extracted data, and assessed the risk of bias. We included six trials randomizing 322 participants. The mean age of participants was approximately 64 years. The trials used varied tapering strategies to discontinue benzodiazepines over 4-10 weeks while using melatonin. Melatonin had no effect on the odds of successfully discontinuing benzodiazepines (odds ratio 0.72, 95% confidence interval 0.21-2.41, p = 0.59). There was important heterogeneity among the trials (I (2) = 76%). The effect of melatonin on sleep quality was inconsistent. Melatonin had no effect on benzodiazepine discontinuation while the effect of melatonin on sleep quality was inconsistent. We cannot rule out a role of melatonin in improving benzodiazepine discontinuation or sleep quality owing to imprecise effect estimates. Larger, well-designed, and reported randomized controlled trials may provide more valid and precise estimates of the effect of melatonin on these outcomes.

Approaches to Gradual Dose Reduction of Chronic Off-Label Antipsychotics Used for Behavioral and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia.

Little is known about how to best taper antipsychotics used in patients with dementia. To address this gap, we reviewed published antipsychotic discontinuation trials to summarize what is known about tapering strategies for antipsychotics used with older adults with dementia. We further developed pharmacokinetic-based gradual dose reduction (GDR) protocols based on antipsychotic half-lives. MEDLINE, EMBASE, and International Pharmaceutical Abstracts were searched up to October 2014 to identify intervention studies reporting the behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia outcomes resulting from discontinued off-label use of antipsychotics in nursing facility populations. Recently published pharmacokinetic reviews and standard pharmacology texts were used to determine antipsychotic drug half-lives for the pharmacokinetic-based GDR protocols. For the review, studies with an intervention resulting in antipsychotic medication discontinuation or tapering were eligible, including randomized controlled trials and pre- and post-intervention studies. When available, we extracted the protocols used for antipsychotic GDR from each study included in the review. We found that clinical trials used different approaches to antipsychotic discontinuation, including abrupt discontinuation, slow tapers (more than two weeks), and mixed strategies based on drug dosage. None of the published trials described an approach based on pharmacokinetic principles. We developed a two-stage GDR protocol for tapering antipsychotic medications based on the log dose-response relationship; each stage was designed to result in a 50% dose reduction prior to discontinuation. This pharmacologically based strategy for patients chronically prescribed antipsychotics resulted in recommendations for slow tapers. Our theoretically derived GDR recommendations suggest a different approach than previously published in clinical trials. Further study is needed to evaluate the effect of this approach on patients.

Outcomes of rapid corticosteroid tapering in acute eosinophilic pneumonia patients with initial eosinophilia.

Studies have shown that patients with acute eosinophilic pneumonia (AEP) and with initial eosinophilia have a milder disease than those with an initial normal peripheral eosinophil count (PEC). We investigated the effect of a rapid corticosteroid tapering strategy in AEP patients with initial eosinophilia. We performed a prospective cohort study in patients with AEP with initial eosinophilia (n = 14) who stopped corticosteroid treatment after achieving clinical stabilization compared with AEP patients with an initial normal PEC (n = 45) who received 2-week treatment with corticosteroid. In total, 59 AEP patients were identified. The median duration of corticosteroid treatment was 4 days (interquartile ranges (IQR), 3-4) in patients with initial eosinophilia and 14 (IQR, 14-14) days in patients with initial normal PEC. No treatment failure occurred in the group with initial eosinophilia; one treatment failure case occurred in the group with an initially normal PEC. The median time to overall clinical stabilization was 3 days, and time to complete resolution of all symptoms and clinical instabilities from diagnosis was 4 days in AEP patients with initial eosinophilia. Both were significantly shorter than those) in the initially normal PEC group, which were 5 and 7 days respectively (both P < 0.001). Adverse effects were lower in AEP patients with initial eosinophilia, and additional medications to relieve adverse effects were only needed in AEP patients with initially normal PEC. Rapid corticosteroid tapering may be an acceptable treatment strategy for managing AEP patients with initial eosinophilia.

Comparing Tapering Strategy to Standard Dosing Regimen of Tumor Necrosis Factor Inhibitors in Patients with Spondyloarthritis in Low Disease Activity.

To compare clinical outcomes, incidence of flares, and administered drug reduction between patients with spondyloarthritis (SpA) under TNF inhibitor (TNFi) tapering strategy with patients receiving a standard regimen. In this retrospective study, 74 patients with SpA from Spain on tapering strategy (tapering group; TG) were compared with 43 patients from the Netherlands receiving a standard regimen (control group; CG). The Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index (BASDAI) was measured at visit 0 (prior to starting the TNFi), visit 1 (prior to starting tapering strategy in TG and at least 6 months with BASDAI < 4 after starting the TNFi in the TG and CG), visit 2 (6 mos after visit 1), visit 3 (1 year after visit 1), and visit 4 (the last visit available after visit 1). An overall reduction of the administered drug was seen at visit 4 in the TG [dose reduction of 22% for infliximab (IFX) and an interval elongation of 28.7% for IFX, 45.2% for adalimumab, and 51.5% for etanercept] without significant differences in the BASDAI between the groups at visit 4 (2.15 ± 1.55 in TG vs 2.11 ± 1.31 in CG, p = 0.883). The number of patients with flares was similar in both groups [22/74 (30%) in the TG vs 8/43 (19%) in the CG, p = 0.184]. The tapering strategy in SpA results in an important reduction of the drug administered, and the disease control remains similar to that of the patients with SpA receiving the standard regimen.

Two Week Taper Not Effective In Improving 5k Performance

PURPOSE: A reduction in volume of training for one to three weeks prior to the event has been shown to maximize glycogen stores, restore enzyme systems, and balance hormones that are typically depleted during intense training. Most studies to date have investigated the effects of tapering in “younger” athletes. However, it is well known that the physiologic adaptation to exercise changes with age, so the purpose of this study was to compare masters age (40+) distance athletes responses to a progressive nonlinear tapering strategy with runners 18-30 years of age. METHODS: Sixteen Master’s age runners (age 48.5±6.1 yrs) and eight younger runners (25.7±3.9 yrs) completed the study. Subjects completed baseline testing followed by a four-week training protocol of at least 65 km•wk-1 miles per week. Subjects returned to the lab and completed a 5K time trial and were randomly assigned to control or taper treatment groups. Taper treatment groups decreased their mileage 25% per week, for a total volume reduction of 50%. All groups completed a second 5K time trial following the two week treatment period. RESULTS: A multivariate (Age x Treatment x Pre/Post Taper) ANOVA was performed to evaluate differences in race VO2, RPE, and 5K running time (F=4.631, p=0.007). Follow-up ANOVAs demonstrated that runner age affected VO2 (F=6.417, p=0.0153) and 5K time (F=14.114, p=0.0005). Older runners exhibited lower VO2 measurements and slower 5K run times. No effect for tapering was apparent in the study cohort. CONCLUSIONS: The value and effect of a taper in Master’s age competitive endurance runners warrants further investigation as no added benefit in 5K run time was observed in this study.

Examining the factor structure of the Clinical Opiate Withdrawal Scale: A secondary data analysis from the National Drug Abuse Treatment Clinical Trials Network (CTN) 0003

BackgroundThe Clinical Opiate Withdrawal Scale (COWS) is used to assess withdrawal in clinical trials and practice. The aims of this study were to examine the inter-item correlations and factor structure of the COWS in opioid-dependent men and women. MethodsThis is a secondary data analysis of the National Drug Abuse Treatment Clinical Trials Network 0003, a randomized clinical trial that compared buprenorphine/naloxone tapering strategies. The trial included 11 sites in 10 US cities. Participants were opioid-dependent individuals (n=516) that had data on the COWS. The COWS at study baseline was analyzed in this study. ResultsInter-item correlations showed weak to moderate relationships among the items. A 1-factor model did not fit the data for men (comparative fit index (CFI)=.801, root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA)=.073, weighted root mean square residual (WRMR)=1.132) or women (CFI=.694, RMSEA=.071, WRMR=.933), where resting pulse rate was not related to withdrawal for men, and yawning and gooseflesh skin was not related to withdrawal for women. A reduced model comprised of only the 8 items that were significantly related to the construct of withdrawal in both men and women, and an exploratory 2-factor model, were also assessed but not retained due to inconsistencies across gender. ConclusionsWhen traditional psychometric models are applied to the COWS, it appears that the scale may not relate to a single underlying construct of withdrawal. Further research testing the hypothesized factor structure in other opioid-dependent samples is needed.

Optimization of a high efficiency free electron laser amplifier

The problem of an efficiency increase of an FEL amplifier is now of great practical importance. Technique of undulator tapering in the post-saturation regime is used at the existing x-ray FELs LCLS and SACLA, and is planned for use at the European XFEL, Swiss FEL, and PAL XFEL. There are also discussions on the future of high peak and average power FELs for scientific and industrial applications. In this paper we perform detailed analysis of the tapering strategies for high power seeded FEL amplifiers. Application of similarity techniques allows us to derive universal law of the undulator tapering.

Tapering strategies in elite British endurance runners

The aim of the study was to explore pre-competition training practices of elite endurance runners. Training details from elite British middle distance (MD; 800 m and 1500 m), long distance (LD; 3000 m steeplechase to 10,000 m) and marathon (MAR) runners were collected by survey for 7 days in a regular training (RT) phase and throughout a pre-competition taper. Taper duration was [median (interquartile range)] 6 (3) days in MD, 6 (1) days in LD and 14 (8) days in MAR runners. Continuous running volume was reduced to 70 (16)%, 71 (24)% and 53 (12)% of regular levels in MD, LD and MAR runners, respectively (P < 0.05). Interval running volume was reduced compared to regular training (MD; 53 (45)%, LD; 67 (23)%, MAR; 64 (34)%, P < 0.05). During tapering, the peak interval training intensity was above race speed in LD and MAR runners (112 (27)% and 114 (3)%, respectively, P < 0.05), but not different in MD (100 (2)%). Higher weekly continuous running volume and frequency in RT were associated with greater corresponding reductions during the taper (R = −0.70 and R = −0.63, respectively, both P < 0.05). Running intensity during RT was positively associated with taper running intensity (continuous intensity; R = 0.97 and interval intensity; R = 0.81, both P < 0.05). Algorithms were generated to predict and potentially prescribe taper content based on the RT of elite runners. In conclusion, training undertaken prior to the taper in elite endurance runners is predictive of the tapering strategy implemented before competition.

A tailored approach to reduce dose of anti-TNF drugs may be equally effective, but substantially less costly than standard dosing in patients with ankylosing spondylitis over 1 year: a propensity score-matched cohort study

ObjectiveTo compare the effectiveness, safety and costs of standard versus individually tailored reduced doses of anti-tumour necrosis factor (TNF) drugs in patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) after achieving low-disease activity.MethodsThis...

The road to gold: training and peaking characteristics in the year prior to a gold medal endurance performance.

PurposeTo describe training variations across the annual cycle in Olympic and World Champion endurance athletes, and determine whether these athletes used tapering strategies in line with recommendations in the literature.MethodsEleven elite XC skiers and biathletes (4 male; 28±1 yr, 85±5 mL. min−1. kg−1 , 7 female, 25±4 yr, 73±3 mL. min−1. kg−1 ) reported one year of day-to-day training leading up to the most successful competition of their career. Training data were divided into periodization and peaking phases and distributed into training forms, intensity zones and endurance activity forms.ResultsAthletes trained ∼800 h/500 sessions.year−1, including ∼500 h. year−1 of sport-specific training. Ninety-four percent of all training was executed as aerobic endurance training. Of this, ∼90% was low intensity training (LIT, below the first lactate threshold) and 10% high intensity training (HIT, above the first lactate threshold) by time. Categorically, 23% of training sessions were characterized as HIT with primary portions executed at or above the first lactate turn point. Training volume and specificity distribution conformed to a traditional periodization model, but absolute volume of HIT remained stable across phases. However, HIT training patterns tended to become more polarized in the competition phase. Training volume, frequency and intensity remained unchanged from pre-peaking to peaking period, but there was a 32±15% (P<.01) volume reduction from the preparation period to peaking phase.ConclusionsThe annual training data for these Olympic and World champion XC skiers and biathletes conforms to previously reported training patterns of elite endurance athletes. During the competition phase, training became more sport-specific, with 92% performed as XC skiing. However, they did not follow suggested tapering practice derived from short-term experimental studies. Only three out of 11 athletes took a rest day during the final 5 days prior to their most successful competition.

THU0157 Comparison of Clinical Outcomes between Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients under TNF Inhibitors Using A Tapering Strategy or Standard Therapy Regimen in Daily Clinical Practice

BackgroundThere is sparse evidence about the disease control after longterm tapering of TNF inhibitors (TNFi)in rheumatoid arthritis (RA)patients (pts)ObjectivesTo compare the clinical outcomes in RA pts on tapering strategy with...

SAT0334 Comparison of Clinical Outcomes between Spondyloarthritis Patients Treated with TNF Inhibitors in Daily Clinical Practise: Tapering versus Standard Therapy

BackgroundThere is limited evidence regarding longterm effects of tapering of TNF inhibitors (TNFi) in Spondyloarthritis (SpA) patientsObjectivesTo compare longterm clinical outcomes in SpA patients on tapering strategy with SpA patients...

When and for how long should glucocorticoids be used in rheumatoid arthritis? International guidelines and recommendations.

Glucocorticoids are widely used in rheumatoid arthritis (RA); however, their effectiveness and safety is still a subject of debate. In particular, when to introduce glucocorticoids, but also when and how to taper them, are important questions for clinicians. In this paper, we will discuss the place of glucocorticoids in the European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) recommendations for the management of RA and review the literature that was the basis for these recommendations. The recommendations cover the introduction of glucocorticoids (and for whom they are recommended), doses and duration of treatment, and tapering strategies. Items still on the research agenda include more data on safety, particularly for long-term use, and small doses of glucocorticoids.

Respiratory reviews in asthma 2013.

From January 2012 up until March 2013, many articles with huge clinical importance in asthma were published based on large numbered clinical trials or meta-analysis. The main subjects of these studies were the new therapeutic plan based on the asthma phenotype or efficacy along with the safety issues regarding the current treatment guidelines. For efficacy and safety issues, inhaled corticosteroid tapering strategy or continued long-acting beta agonists use was the major concern. As new therapeutic trials, monoclonal antibodies or macrolide antibiotics based on inflammatory phenotypes have been under investigation, with promising preliminary results. There were other issues on the disease susceptibility or genetic background of asthma, particularly for the "severe asthma" phenotype. In the era of genome and pharmacogenetics, there have been extensive studies to identify susceptible candidate genes based on the results of genome wide association studies (GWAS). However, for severe asthma, which is where most of the mortality or medical costs develop, it is very unclear. Moreover, there have been some efforts to find important genetic information in order to predict the possible disease progression, but with few significant results up until now. In conclusion, there are new on-going aspects in the phenotypic classification of asthma and therapeutic strategy according to the phenotypic variations. With more pharmacogenomic information and clear identification of the "severe asthma" group even before disease progression from GWAS data, more adequate and individualized therapeutic strategy could be realized in the future.

Sequencing-Based Minimal Residual Disease Assessment In T-Cell Malignancies: T-Cell Prolymphocytic Leukemia Case Study

BackgroundThe prognostic significance of minimal residual disease (MRD) quantification in the post-transplant setting has been demonstrated in multiple lymphoid malignancies, including acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) and chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). Previous studies support the clinical utility of molecular MRD quantification of tumor burden after allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (allo-HCT) (Logan et al, Leukemia 2013). We have developed the ClonoSIGHT™ test, which is based on the deep sequencing of immunoglobulin and T-cell receptor rearrangements and has a detection limit of one cancer cell per million leukocytes in peripheral blood or bone marrow (Faham et al, Blood 2012; Armand et al, Brit J Haematol 2013). In this report, we will discuss the technical performance of the ClonoSIGHT test for routine MRD quantification after allo-HCT and present a case study on a patient with T-cell prolymphocytic leukemia (T-PLL). MethodsA 55 year old female presented with T-PLL including symptomatic CNS disease, received 12 weeks of Alemtuzumab therapy and then 12 weeks following her last Alemtuzumab treatment received an unrelated donor myeloablative allo-HCT using Fludarabine, BCNU and Melphalan conditioning with antithymoglobulin, Mycophenolate mofetil and cyclosporine primary immune prophylaxis. Peripheral blood samples were collected for MRD assessment before and serially after allo-HCT. Using universal primer sets, we amplified T-cell receptor beta (TRB), delta (TRD) and gamma (TRG) variable, diversity, and joining gene segments from genomic DNA isolated from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC). Amplified products were sequenced and analyzed using standardized algorithms for clonotype determination, and leukemia-specific clonotypes were identified based on their frequency within the T-cell repertoire (>5%). The leukemia-specific clonotype was then quantified in serial peripheral blood samples and reported as the absolute number of leukemic-specific clones among total leukocytes. ResultsA single clonal TRG gene rearrangement accounting for 26.1% WBC in the pre-transplant sample was identified and quantified in serial peripheral blood samples. A 4-log decline in MRD levels occurred post allo-HCT (Figure 1) thru 56 days following graft infusion; however, serial MRD monitoring demonstrated increasing levels of leukemia-specific clonotypes in the peripheral blood over time (Figure 1). Immunosuppression tapering strategies were employed in response to clinical events and MRD levels. Specifically, the patient developed an EBV+ post-transplant lymphoproliferative disease (PTLD) 60 days post allo-HCT, and cyclosporine was tapered in addition to instituting anti-CD20 rituximab treatment. As per institutional practice, a bone marrow biopsy 84 days post-HCT showed full donor engraftment with normal cellularity and no evidence of PLL was detected by flow cytometry when ClonoSIGHT detected 0.013% PLL in the patient's blood. Unfortunately, in the setting of immune suppression taper at 100 days post allo-HCT, the patient developed Grade II skin GVHD and was treated with 0.5mg/kg prednisone daily and tapered as indicated. At 160 days post allo-HCT, the patient presented with new skin papules suspected to be leukemia cutis. The PLL clonotype was detected in the skin biopsy; however, it was present at lower frequency in the TRG repertoire than in the blood, thus not supporting a diagnosis of leukemia cutis. In agreement, skin pathology revealed Verruca Vulgaris (warts). However, the patient's MRD continued to increase in the blood while immunosuppression was tapered and stopped completely 6 months post-HCT. [Display omitted] ConclusionsMRD assessment can be used to monitor a patient's disease progression after immune cellular therapy and aids immune suppression management following allo-HCT. Further, as presented in this case study, ClonoSIGHT detection of the leukemia clone in the blood compared with other tissues can sensitively and specifically assess extramedullary relapse. Disclosures:Kong:Sequenta, Inc.: Employment, Equity Ownership. Faham:Sequenta, Inc.: Employment, Equity Ownership, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees.

Olympic Preparation of a World-Class Female Triathlete

Detailed accounts of the training programs followed by today's elite triathletes are lacking in the sport-science literature. This study reports on the training program of a world-class female triathlete preparing to compete in the London 2012 Olympic Games. Over 50 wk, she performed 796 sessions (303 swim, 194 bike, 254 run, 45 strength training), ie, 16 ± 4 sessions/wk (mean ± SD). Swim, bike, and run training volumes were, respectively, 1230 km (25 ± 8 km/wk), 427 h (9 ± 3 h/wk), and 250 h (5 ± 2 h/wk). Training tasks were categorized and prescribed based on heart-rate values and/or speeds and power outputs associated with different blood lactate concentrations. Training performed at intensities below her individual lactate threshold (ILT), between the ILT and the onset of blood lactate accumulation (OBLA), and above the OBLA for swim were 74% ± 6%, 16% ± 2%, 10% ± 2%; bike 88% ± 3%, 10% ± 1%, 2.1% ± 0.2%; and run 85% ± 2%, 8.0% ± 0.3%, 6.7% ± 0.3%. Training organization was adapted to the busy competition calendar (18 events, of which 8 were Olympic-distance triathlons) and continuously responded to emerging information. Training volumes were 35-80% higher than those previously reported for elite male and female triathletes, but training intensity and tapering strategies successfully followed recommended best practice for endurance athletes. This triathlete placed 7th in London 2012, and her world ranking improved from 14th to 8th at the end of 2012.