Effect of Active Versus Passive Recovery on Performance During Intrameet Swimming Competition

Abstract

Background:During competition, high-performance swimmers are subject to repeated physical demands that affect their final performance. Measurement of lactate concentration in blood seeks to indirectly gauge physiologic responses to the increase in physical exercise. Swimmers face multiple maximal-exertion events during competition. Strenuous physical exercise leads to fatigue and, thus, a decrease in sports performance.Hypothesis:Regeneration exercises in swimming increase the clearance of blood lactate and therefore improve athletic performance within a single day of competition.Study Design:Crossover study.Level of Evidence:Level 1.Methods:Of 25 swimmers, 21 were included, with a mean age of 17 years. They performed exercises that increased blood lactate on 2 days. The protocol was a warm-up, followed by a 100-m freestyle workout at full speed. Swimming exercises followed that were increasingly demanding, during which serial lactatemia measurements were taken. On the first day, regeneration exercises were performed; on the second day, the swimmers rested. Next, lactatemia was measured, and a timed 100-m freestyle workout was performed at maximum speed.Results:The stress exercises increased the mean lactate concentration by 4.6 mmol/L, which corresponds to 78% of the initial basal level. The postregeneration lactatemia level was lower than that after resting (mean, 2.76 vs 6.51 mmol/L). The time to swim 100 m after regeneration was 68.11 seconds, while that after rest was 69.31 seconds.Conclusion:Blood lactate levels rose by up to 78% after the intensity of the training sessions was progressively increased. Regeneration exercises increased the rate in which blood lactate dissipated, in comparison with passive recuperation. The rate of lactate dissipation for regeneration exercises was 68%. This factor may have improved the physical performance of swimmers.Clinical Relevance:Regeneration exercises improved the performance of swimmers in maximal-exertion competition in a single day. The blood lactate level correlated with physical exercise load.

Effect of self-paced active recovery and passive recovery on blood lactate removal following a 200 m freestyle swimming trial

“…Data were obtained in highly trained athletes and suggest a possible application aiming to improve the performance in subsequent trials, since a higher lactate removal rate seems to relate to an enhancement in the performance. 17 …”

“…This occurs because AR promotes a significant reduction on the phosphocreatine (PCr) levels, changing the capacity for force production in high velocity 16. On the other hand, AR seems to potentiate pH restoration and lactate removal by activating oxidative metabolism 12,17–19. Previous studies affirm that the accelerated decrease of [Lac] in AR is due to an increase of the blood flow promoted by activity, carrying lactate to the liver, heart, and skeletal muscle in activity, activating oxidative metabolism and favoring gluconeogenesis 13,17–21.…”

“… 16 On the other hand, AR seems to potentiate pH restoration and lactate removal by activating oxidative metabolism. 12 , 17 – 19 Previous studies affirm that the accelerated decrease of [Lac] in AR is due to an increase of the blood flow promoted by activity, carrying lactate to the liver, heart, and skeletal muscle in activity, activating oxidative metabolism and favoring gluconeogenesis. 13 , 17 – 21 Nevertheless, Toubekis et al 22 showed that PR has the same removal velocity and demonstrated the benefits achieved by AR performed during 5 minutes at 60% of the maximum effort.…”

“…Despite contradictory propositions about the modality and intensity of the ideal recovery, a higher lactate removal rate seems to be related to an improvement in performance. 17 Therefore, this study is justified in the uncertainties about the most effective type of recovery and in the influence of the specificity of the trial in choosing the ideal intensity and type. The aim of this research was to analyze the blood lactate removal velocity in self-paced AR and PR after a 200 m freestyle trial.…”

Comparison of the Effect of Passive and Active Recovery, and Self-Myofascial Release Exercises on Lactate Removal and Total Quality of Recovery

“…Né dé lec et al 2013reported that 81% of the French Professional soccer team performed AR immediately after the match and/or on the following days. Numerous researchers argued that AR is more effective than PR in removal of [La -] and decreased muscle soreness (Corder et al, 2000;Hinzpeter et al, 2014;Menzies et al, 2010;Mika et al, 2016;Ali et al, 2012;Dorado et al, 2004;Sairyo et al, 2003;Bogdanis et al, 1996;). The positive effects of AR associated with blood flow to recovering muscle are from phosphocreatine (PCr) resynthesis and pH recovery (Quistorff et al, 1993).…”