Changes in Physiological and Stroke Parameters During a Maximal 400-m Free Swimming Test in Elite Swimmers

Abstract

The aim of this study was to analyse the variations of the metabolic and technical parameters during a maximal 400-m freestyle event. Seven trained male swimmers swam a maximal 400-m freestyle as if in competition (255.8 +/- 6.9 s). Intermediate time and stroke rate (SR) were recorded at each length (25 m). To estimate the changes in metabolic parameters during the 400-m event, they swam a 300-, 200-, and 100-m test set from each length of the 400-m event results, resting 90 min between each test. The exact speed at each length was given with a visual light pacer. Oxygen uptake (VO(2)) and blood lactate concentration ( [Lac]) were measured before and immediately after each test. VO(2) and [Lac] were stable during the 100-, 200-, and 300-m test but significantly higher (p < 0.05) during 400-m test. The estimated contribution of anaerobic metabolism (EsCANA ) during the first 100-m and the 400-m represented 45 % and 20 % of total energy output, respectively. Speed decreased significantly (p < 0.05) after the first 100-m and remained stable until the end. SR decreased significantly after the first 100-m, then increased until the end, while stroke length (SL) decreased linearly throughout the 400-m. During the first or the last 100-m, EsCANA was not correlated with the changes in V, SR, or SL between the second and the first 100-m, and between the fourth and the third 100-m, respectively. To conclude, this study showed that the swimmers were not able to maintain stable SL during the 400-m event. Thus, to sustain stable velocity and to compensate for the decrease in SL, swimmers increased SR throughout the last 300-m.

Effects of swim training on energetic and performance in women masters’ swimmers

“…No breathing cycle was made until the portable mask was on the swimmer's face. The oxygen uptake (VO2) (in ml⋅kg -1 ⋅min -1 ) reached during the trial was estimated through the backward extrapolation of the oxygen (O2) recovery curve (the mean value in the 6 s after the VO2 detection during the recovery period) (Laffite et al, 2004). The first measure of VO2 values before the highest VO2 measurement was not considered, because it corresponded to the device adaptation to the sudden change of respiratory cycles and to O2 uptake.…”

“…The first measure of VO2 values before the highest VO2 measurement was not considered, because it corresponded to the device adaptation to the sudden change of respiratory cycles and to O2 uptake. The device adaptation never exceeded 2 s (Costa et al, 2010;Laffite et al, 2004).…”

The influence of stroke mechanics into energy cost of elite swimmers

“…Nomura et al (1996) evaluated the aerobic-anaerobic relationship for a 400 m Freestyle event and observed that the aerobic contribution at the fourth split (i.e., 200 m) was 73.15 ± 1.46% for males at 1.65 m s -1 and 71.34 ± 2.30% for females at 1.52 ± 0.03 m s -1 . Laffite et al (2004) studied the same event for male swimmers and concluded that aerobic contribution over the total 400 m is 81.1 ± 3.9% (at 1.56 ± 0.04 m s -1 ), and that at the 200 m split is 93.1 ± 5.4% (at 1.60 ± 0.04 ms -1 ). Complementarily, Troup (1991) reported a contribution of 65% of aerobic source and 35% of anaerobic sources to a 200 m swim in Freestyle, 70% of aerobic source and 30% of anaerobic sources in Backstroke, 63% of aerobic source and 37% of anaerobic sources in Breaststroke and 61% of aerobic source and 39% of anaerobic lactic source in Butterfly stroke.…”

An energy balance of the 200 m front crawl race

“…Capelli et al 1998;Capelli 1999;di Prampero 2003;Laffite et al 2004;Reis et al 2010;Zamparo et al 2000). The power and capacity of the immediate (ATP-PCr), short-term (anaerobic glycolysis), and long-term (oxidative phosphorylation) systems of energy production are indeed major factors in determining swimming performance and a large part of training is devoted to the improvement of the different energy production systems (Toussaint and Hollander 1994).…”