Body Composition in International Sprint Swimmers: Are There Any Relations with Performance?

Dopsaj, Milivoj; Zuozienė, Ilona Judita; Milić, Radoje; Cherepov, Evgeni; Эрлих, В. В.; Masiulis, Nerijus; Nino, Andrea di; Vodičar, Janez

doi:10.3390/ijerph17249464

Cited by 23 publications

(24 citation statements)

References 39 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…Most probably, body dimensions are not highly relevant for a fast time in both an Ice Mile and an Ice Km. For other swimmers, such as sprint swimmers, body composition is relevant for performance [ 38 ]. Future studies might investigate pre-event preparation (i.e., training and specific event preparation) in ice swimmers.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…BMI does not separate percentages of fat and muscle regarding body composition. In sprint swimmers, specific anthropometric characteristics (e.g., protein-fat index, index of body composition, percent of skeletal muscle mass, free fat mass, fat mass index, and percent of body fat) are related to swimming performance [ 38 ]. A higher BMI is due to more fat mass, as it may also be due to more muscle mass, and this can influence performance.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Influence of Anthropometric Characteristics on Ice Swimming Performance—The IISA Ice Mile and Ice Km

Knechtle

Barkai²,

Hill

et al. 2021

IJERPH

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Ice swimming following the rules of IISA (International Ice Swimming Association) is a recent sports discipline starting in 2009. Since then, hundreds of athletes have completed an Ice Mile or an Ice Km in water colder than 5 °C. This study aimed to expand our knowledge about swimmers completing an Ice Mile or an Ice Km regarding the influence of anthropometric characteristics (i.e., body mass, body height, and body mass index, BMI) on performance. We analyzed data from 957 swimmers in the Ice Km (590 men and 367 women) and 585 swimmers in the Ice Mile (334 men and 251 women). No differences were found for anthropometric characteristics between swimmers completing an Ice Mile and an Ice Km although water temperatures and wind chill were lower in the Ice Km than in the Ice Mile. Men were faster than women in both the Ice Mile and Ice Km. Swimming speed decreased significantly with increasing age, body mass, and BMI in both women and men in both the Ice Mile and Ice Km. Body height was positively correlated to swimming speed in women in the Ice Km. Air temperature was significantly and negatively related to swimming speed in the Ice Km but not in the Ice Mile. Water temperature was not associated with swimming speed in men in both the Ice Mile and Ice Km but significantly and negatively in women in Ice Km. In summary, swimmers intending to complete an Ice Mile or an Ice Km do not need to have a high body mass and/or a high BMI to swim these distances fast.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Influence of Anthropometric Characteristics on Ice Swimming Performance—The IISA Ice Mile and Ice Km

Knechtle

Barkai²,

Hill

et al. 2021

IJERPH

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…A sports training strategy (especially elite-level) represents a long-lasting, systematic, and multifactorial approach and process in which programmed training loads are applied [ 1 ]. Monitoring changes in individuals participating in sports and exercise programs (e.g., nutritional, health, performance, and injury/recovery status) enables coaches and athletes to understand better how training, diet, and competition affect athletes when optimizing the training processes [ 2 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Various body composition variables contribute to success in numerous sports [ 6 ]. However, independently from body composition, elite-level swimmers were found to be taller than those at the sub-elite level [ 1 ], which may also apply to female swimmers. For example, in our study published in 2018 [ 7 ], the two most successful swimmers within the national team out of 14 at that time were more than 180 cm tall.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Olympic Cycle Comparison of the Nutritional and Cardiovascular Health Status of an Elite-Level Female Swimmer: Case Study Report from Slovenia

Jakše

Lipošek

Zenić

et al. 2022

Sports

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Monitoring the many aspects that are crucial to an athlete’s performance progress is vital for further training planning and for the development of performance and the sport. We evaluated a four-year change (2018 vs. 2022) in the current nutritional and cardiovascular health status of the most successful elite-level female swimmer in Slovenia. Body composition and dietary intake were assessed using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry and a standardized food questionnaire. The concentration of blood lipids, blood pressure, and serum micronutrients (B12, 25(OH)D), potassium, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, and iron) were measured. The four-year comparison showed an improved body composition status (i.e., increased body mass and decreased body fat (percentage and mass), increased lean soft tissue and total bone mineral density (BMD) (i.e., significantly decreased BMD of a left femoral neck and increased BMD of a spine and head)). We also measured an improvement in the cardiovascular health status of some markers (i.e., decreased total cholesterol, triglycerides, and blood pressure but increased low-density lipoprotein cholesterol), most likely due to the differences in assessed dietary intake (i.e., lower carbohydrate intake, higher total and saturated fat intake, and lower sodium intake). Notably, nutrient intakes that are generally of concern (eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), vitamin B12 and D, calcium, iron, and zinc (except for fiber intake)) were all within recommended ranges. However, the athlete’s vitamin K and potassium intake were not adequate. Furthermore, in 2018, the athlete did not consume dietary supplements, while she now regularly uses several dietary supplements, including EPA and DHA omega-3, vitamin D, multivitamins, carbohydrate powder, and sports drink. Moreover, from the micronutrient serum, only iron levels deviated from the reference values (37 μmol/L vs. 10.7–28.6 μmol/L). The presented screening example using valid, sensitive, and affordable methods and with rapid organizational implementation may be a viable format for regular monitoring.

show abstract

“…[6,7]. As a result, the characteristics of the athletes have evolved, leading to a morphological optimization, especially in those skills that are most closely related to sports performance [8][9][10]. As a consequence, numerous research studies have addressed the importance of sports professionalization on sports performance [11][12][13].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Performance of high-level Spanish athletes in the Olympic Games according to gender

et al. 2021

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

No studies have been found that analyzed the probabilities of high-level athletes according to gender for accessing programs that promote the professionalization of sports, and participation and success in the OG in Spain. This could explain the gender differences in these parameters and the trend towards more egalitarian data in recent years. The objective of this study was to analyze the probabilities of Spanish high-level athletes for participating and achieving sporting success in the 2008, 2012 and 2016 Olympic Games (OG). Data relating to a sample of 3757 high-level Spanish athletes (2398 men and 1359 women) between 2005 and 2016 were examined. The variables of gender, having obtained a scholarship from the Association of Olympic Athletes (ADO) program, training in a High Performance Center (CAR), participation and performance in the OG were analyzed. It was found that high-level female athletes were more likely than male athletes to belong to the ADO program (χ2 = 26,151; r* = 0.083; p = 0,000) and CAR (χ2 = 13,847; r* = 0.061; p = 0,000), and to qualify for an OG (χ2 = 22,838; r* = 0,078; p = 0,000), the same trend was found in the three Olympic cycles analyzed. With respect to the results in the OG, in general, no differences were found according to gender, although women were more likely to be finalists (χ2 = 4,406; r* = 0.071; p = 0,036), and more prominently in the 2016 OG (16.118; r* = 0.228; p = 0.000). The same applies to winning a medal (χ2 = 5.939; r* = 0.145; p = 0.015), more specifically bronze at the 2012 OG (χ2 = 6.215; r* = 0.149; p = 0.013). In conclusion, high-level female athletes in Spain have a higher percentage of access to high-level athlete support programs such as ADO and CAR, as well as participation in OG.

show abstract

Body Composition in International Sprint Swimmers: Are There Any Relations with Performance?

Cited by 23 publications

References 39 publications

Influence of Anthropometric Characteristics on Ice Swimming Performance—The IISA Ice Mile and Ice Km

Influence of Anthropometric Characteristics on Ice Swimming Performance—The IISA Ice Mile and Ice Km

Olympic Cycle Comparison of the Nutritional and Cardiovascular Health Status of an Elite-Level Female Swimmer: Case Study Report from Slovenia

Performance of high-level Spanish athletes in the Olympic Games according to gender

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About