Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectrometry Determination of the Metabolic Changes During a Maximal 400-Meter Swimming Test

Abstract

We describe the metabolic changes in the blood that appeared during a maximal 400-m swimming test in 7 male swimmers by Fourier-transform infrared spectrometry (FT-IR spectrometry). A 400-m test (255.9 +/- 6.8 s) was performed during which stroke frequency and time to complete each pool distance were recorded. In three other tests, the first 100 m, 200 m, and 300 m were swam at the same stroke frequency and velocity. Capillary blood samples were taken at rest and after tests to analyze change in plasma contents by FT-IR spectrometry. Best swimmers were characterized by higher glycemia increase at the onset of exercise (r = -0.91; p < 0.01). Lactate increase was also higher after 300 m (r = -0.97; p < 0.01). Higher amounts of fatty acids were also available at the end of exercise, as assessed by the relationships found between swimming velocity and concentrations of albumin (r = 0.96; p < 0.01), apolipoprotein C 3 (r = 0.93; p < 0.01), triglycerides (r = -0.81; p < 0.05), and fatty acids (r = 0.97; p < 0.01). This metabolic response allowed the best swimmers to maintain longer their initial swimming velocity. The best swimmers presented also higher amino-acid concentration increase during exercise (r = 0.91; p < 0.01). Therefore, performance competence originated probably from better regulation in carbohydrate, lipid, and amino-acid metabolism.

Kinematic, arm-stroke efficiency, coordination, and energetic parameters of the 400-m front-crawl test: A meta-analysis

“…The study that reported the poorest test (≈378 s) (46) assessed male junior swimmers. Furthermore, only in five studies (9,52,54,55,58) swimmers reached swimming speeds over 1.50 m•s −1 ; however, the swimmers of these cited studies were of optimal technical level. Therefore, more studies are needed to include highperformance swimmers and separated groups to perform analysis of performance (e.g., technical level, genders, and competitive categories), and to verify which performance parameters reflect the actual performance.…”