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Periodization: Variation in the Definition and Discrepancies in Study Design

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Abstract

Over the past several decades, periodization has been widely accepted as the gold standard of training theory. Within the literature, there are numerous definitions for periodization, which makes it difficult to study. When examining the proposed definitions and related studies on periodization, problems arise in the following domains: (1) periodization has been proposed to serve as the macro-management of the training process concerning the annual plan, yet research on long-term effects is scarce; (2) periodization and programming are being used interchangeably in research; and (3) training is not periodized alongside other stressors such as sport (i.e., only resistance training is being performed without the inclusion of sport). Overall, the state of the literature suggests that the inability to define periodization makes the statement of its superiority difficult to experimentally test. This paper discusses the proposed definitions of periodization and the study designs which have been employed to examine the concept.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. USF Muscle Lab, Exercise Science Program, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA

    Ryo Kataoka, Ecaterina Vasenina & Samuel L. Buckner

  2. Department of Health, Exercise Science, and Recreation Management, Kevser Ermin Applied Physiology Laboratory, The University of Mississippi, University, MS, USA

    Jeremy Loenneke

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  1. Ryo Kataoka
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Ryo Kataoka, Ecaterina Vasenina, Jeremy Loenneke, and Samuel Buckner declare that they have no conflicts of interest that are relevant to the content of this article.

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RK, EV, SLB, and JPL wrote the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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Kataoka, R., Vasenina, E., Loenneke, J. et al. Periodization: Variation in the Definition and Discrepancies in Study Design. Sports Med 51, 625–651 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-020-01414-5

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