Detraining effects: A two-week investigation on shooting accuracy of elite petanque athletes

Detraining plays an important role in planning effective training programs and managing recovery. Both long-term and short-term detraining have their own positive and negative effects. Most studies on short-term and long-term detraining have focused on the loss of physical attributes, such as speed, strength, power, fitness, and changes in muscle fiber composition. However, there is a lack of specific research on how two weeks of detraining affects shooting accuracy in petanque. Can complete detraining for two weeks maintain petanque shooting accuracy, or does it have the opposite effect? This study involved a sample of 10 elite athletes, all with five years of shared training experience. Prior to the study, the participants had undergone intensive training for the past six months, training morning and evening for six hours per day. The athletes were aged between 22 and 25 years. The study design was a true experimental approach using a paired sample t-test in a single group. The results showed that detraining for two weeks had an influence on shooting accuracy, but this effect was not statistically significant. The findings suggest that elite athletes maintain high retention of movement patterns, stable motor memory, strong movement coordination, and a competitive mentality despite two weeks of detraining.