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Glite Dictionary
microcycle

microcycle

1 7.2
A short repeating period in training or biology often lasting one week
  • noun
  • /ˈmaɪkroʊˌsaɪkəl/
  • Specialized
: microciclo
  • Coaches can organize a general schema of training through a macrocycle which encompasses an entire month, year, or career of a team or individual, or a microcycle, consisting of weekly, daily, or hourly scheduling of training.

Examples

  • The year-long mesocycle was then divided into four microcycles, or training phases (i.e., preparatory, competitive, peaking, and recovery).

    Academic text (2010)

  • You know, I've been stuck here for 200 microcycles.

    Tron (1982)

  • "For long microcycles, nothing happened."

    Fiction book (2000)

  • A microcycle later, he breathed easier.

    Fiction book (2000)

  • The athletes followed a specific microcycle to optimize their training over the course of several weeks.

  • Each microcycle in the training program focuses on different skills to enhance overall performance.

  • To track progress, the coach designed a detailed plan for each microcycle throughout the competitive season.

Surface Forms

microcycle singular
microcycles plural

Morphology

microcycle = cycle (semi-transparent) = micro + cycle

The word is built transparently from 'micro' + 'cycle', but the specialized sense of a short training or biological period is slightly technical.

Etymology

The word microcycle combines micro- meaning 'small', as in microphone, and cycle meaning 'a repeating period', as in bicycle. So a microcycle is a 'small repeating period', like a one-week phase in a training plan or a short stage in biology.