The Effect of Three-Year Swim Training on Cardio-Respiratory Fitness and Selected Somatic Features of Prepubertal Boys

Abstract

The data regarding somatic and physiological effects of sport-related physical activities in youth are limited. Moreover, whether exercise training is capable of increasing cardio-respiratory fitness remains a disputable issue. The study undertook to assess the effect of swimming training on cardio-respiratory fitness (CRF) and the development of physical traits in prepubertal boys, and to determine which of the traits is the best predictor of their CRF. Forty 10-year old prepubertal boys (10.5 ± 0.3 y) were divided into two groups (swimmers (SG), n = 20, and controls (CG), n = 20), which underwent anthropometric measurements and performed a 20 m shuttle run test (20 mSRT) semi-annually over a 3-year period. CRF indices (the number of 20 mSRT shuttles, maximal speed, and VO2max) were higher overall in the SG compared with the CG (p < 0.001). The values of the main physique variables increased faster in the CG, but the groups showed no differentiation of physical traits. In both groups, CRF indices were associated with the participants’ physical traits, the most strongly with the sum of four skinfold thicknesses in the SG and knee breadth in the CG. These results suggest that swimming training is a form of additional physical activity that improves prepubertal boys’ CRF but does not significantly affect their physical development. In using the 20 mSRT to assess the CRF of prepubertal boys, their physical activity level and age-related changes in body fatness need to be considered.

An assessment of selected motor skills in young female swimmers and their associations with swimming test results – a pilot study

“…According to the studies reviewed by Baquet et al [34], endurance training improves aerobic capacity in children and adolescents by just 5-6%, or 8-10% when only studies finding its effect to be significant are considered. In our earlier research on the influence of a 3-year swimming training program on prepubertal boys, a 2-factor ANOVA of the 20-mSRT results (factor I: controls-swimmers; factor II: time) showed that the main group effect was statistically significant, but measurements taken at successive time points did not reveal statistically significant differences between the 2 groups [35]. It is likely that a similar situation also occurred in this study (the swimmers performed statistically insignificantly better on the 20-mSRT), but whether it was really so cannot be confirmed without longitudinal studies.…”

Effects of 12 Weeks of High-, Moderate-, and Low-Volume Training on Performance Parameters in Adolescent Swimmers

“…Swimmers are known to train for hours and cover kilometers daily, regardless of their race distances, and it is a well-established fact that many Olympic champions hold world records in various distances. Due to its horizontal position in the water and the unique technique of responding to buoyancy, gravity, and resistance in the water, as well as the different breathing techniques compared to outdoor sports, swimming is evaluated separately from other sports [3]. Physiologically, it is known that swimming is influenced by lower body fat, broader shoulders and hips, longer stroke length, shorter forearms, and wider arm circumference [4].…”

Analysis of Physical Training of Swimmers at the Competitive Level

“…As swimming is a competitive event dominated by physical strength, the interaction between athletes' technical actions and the water in the swimming pool makes the body stay still or move in the water. 3 Therefore, the essence of motion is explained through the principle of motion. We need to use the most scientific methods to develop scientific training methods to improve athletes' project performance.…”