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Eben Moglen said something similar in relation to the Google Summer of Code: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-7477852615698435519...
He was first taught this technique at a high-end athletic training center. They put him on an exercise machine and had him go all out for a few minutes. Then they had him relax and recover -- and the trainers timed it, so he only relaxed for say, 45 seconds. Precisely at the end of 45 seconds, they put him back on the exercise machine again. Over time, his heart rate did not spike up as high, and the amount of time he needed to recover started shortening.
Lest you think this applies to only physical tasks, and not mental tasks, according to the book, Waitzkin was able to successfully apply this during the intense national and international chess tournements he participated in. He takes short mini-breaks, so while it looks like he is able to sustain his focus for long periods of time, that's an illusion.
This idea of recovery time for getting things done isn't a new one. I've always thought I had to go all out, indefinitely. I always exhaust myself and couldn't energize myself to get more done. My bet is that people who appear to be productive all the time are the ones skilled at taking these short mini-breaks.
However, I have a way to stay productive during the lulls, which has been very effective for me: pair programming. Even if I'm not inspired, or even energetic, if I sit down with someone else to work on a task, pretty soon the conversation gets me focused and triggers ideas.