Biophysical Impact of 5-Week Training Cessation on Sprint Swimming Performance

Abstract

Purpose: To assess changes in swimming performance, anthropometrics, kinematics, energetics, and strength after 5-week training cessation. Methods: Twenty-one trained and highly trained swimmers (13 males: 17.4 [3.1] y; 50-m front crawl 463 [77] FINA points; 8 females: 16.7 [1.7] y; 50-m front crawl 535 [48] FINA points) performed a 50-m front-crawl all-out swim test, dryland and pool-based strength tests, and 10-, 15-, 20-, and 25-m front-crawl all-out efforts for anaerobic critical velocity assessment before and after a 5-week training cessation. Heart rate and oxygen uptake () were continuously measured before and after the 50-m swim test (off-kinetics). Results: Performance was impaired 1.9% (0.54 s) for males (P = .007, d = 0.91) and 2.9% (0.89 s) for females (P = .033, d = 0.93). Neither the anthropometrical changes (males: r2 = .516, P = .077; females: r2 = .096, P = .930) nor the physical activities that each participant performed during the off-season (males: r2 = .060, P = .900; females: r2 = .250, P = .734) attenuated performance impairments. Stroke rate and clean swimming speed decreased (P < .05), despite similar stroke length and stroke index (P > .05). Blood lactate concentrations remained similar (P > .05), but peak decreased in females (P = .04, d = 0.85). Both sexes showed higher heart rate before and after the 50-m swim test after 5 weeks (P < .05). Anaerobic metabolic power deterioration was only observed in males (P = .035, d = 0.65). Lower in-water force during tethered swimming at zero speed was observed in males (P = .033, d = 0.69). Regarding dryland strength, lower-body impairments were observed for males, while females showed upper-body impairments (P < .05). Conclusions: A 5-week training cessation yielded higher heart rate in the 50-m front crawl, anaerobic pathways, and dryland strength impairments. Coaches should find alternatives to minimize detraining effects during the off-season.

Microbial bowel infections-induced biochemical and biological abnormalities and their effects on young Egyptian swimmers

“…The present study revealed a significant higher rate of microbial infections among swimmers of Gp2 than among swimmers of Gp1, indicating a strong association between infections and the maturation level of swimmers' performance, as sick swimmers are forced to stop training several times and for periods that might be long enough to evoke a decline in swimmers' performance and their physical status that could compromise the rest of the season 27,48 . Moreover, such high rates of infections reflect the poor swimming-pool water qualities and insufficient treatment measures which could require complete emptying of pools and stopping of training sessions for long periods.…”

Open Water Swimming in Elite Triathletes: Physiological and Biomechanical Determinants

“…Oxygen uptake (V �O 2 ) was continuously measured during 5 min before (baseline) and after the test in sitting position. During recovery period (i. e. off-kinetics), mask fitting was right after completing the last stroke of the test [23]. Respiratory gas exchange was measured breath by breath using a portable gas analyzer (Cosmed K5, Rome, Italy).…”

“…Triathletes were measured on a single testing session randomly divided to perform the test on two different days under similar conditions. The 1500 m open water swimming test was conducted individually with in-water start, preceded by a 1000 m open water standardized warm-up [23]. Participants used their competition tri-suit (i. e. no wetsuit) and completed the open water swimming test at race pace [3].…”