Triathlon: swimming for winning

Abstract

Olbrecht J. Triathlon: swimming for winning. J. Hum. Sport Exerc. Vol. 6, No. 2, pp. 233-246, 2011. Swimming performance in triathlon gradually gets of overriding importance in view of the final positioning in a race. It is important to end up swimming in the leading group(s) and to consider the impact of the swim stage on the 2 remaining sports disciplines in order to outbalance the athlete's effort and to be able to keep racing for a good position until the end of the race. Unlike cycling and running where the performance mainly depends on conditioning, the performance in swimming is a subtle combination of conditioning and technical abilities. Even elite swimmers may lose a lot of performance if their outstanding conditioning is not coupled with an excellent swimming technique. Triathletes very often suffer from a lack of technique and despite the wetsuit, which partially outbalances this shortcoming, they spend a lot of energy in the swim stage without reaping any success, energy which is then not on hand anymore for the rest of the race. Therefore, swimming technique should be the groundwork in the multi-year planning AND should be focussed on in each training session during the whole carrier of the triathlete. Monitoring the combination of time/stroke rate/stroke length is thus a must. Periodisation in triathlon is much more complex than in "single" sports. Not only the sports specific weaknesses/strengths of the athlete but also the intrinsic interaction between cycling, running and swimming on training effects and his swim-technical qualities will rule the periodisation. Additionally the level of technique will also set volume, intensity and form of training exercises. Simple to complex tests can help to make the right choice. This makes from triathlon an exciting sport, not only for the athlete but also for the coach and supporting teams. This article will summarise some practical implications on periodisation and on swimming training in triathlon.

Time to Exhaustion at the VO2max Velocity in Swimming: A Review

“…As it was observed that the aerobic metabolism did not directly influence the TLim-vVO 2 max, it was hypothesized that the anaerobic performance capacity could be a very relevant parameter to this specific type of exercise, as suggested before (Fernandes et al, 2003b). However, TLim-vVO 2 max did not present any relationship with [La − ]max and Δ[La − ] in the TLim-vVO 2 max test; probably, the oxidation of lactate during performance may account for this unexpected result, mainly in expert swimmers, in which the lactate removal ability was found to be higher (Olbrecht, 2000). …”

“…Once swimming may be considered as an aerobic sport, in which the anaerobic system contribution has significant influence (Capelli et al, 1998; Gastin, 2001; Figueiredo et al, 2011), maximal oxygen consumption (VO 2 max) plays a central role among the energy-yielding mechanisms (di Prampero, 1986); in fact, several authors consider this parameter as the expression of maximal metabolic aerobic performance capability of a subject and, therefore, related to one of the primary areas of interest in swimming training and performance diagnostic (Olbrecht, 2000; Libicz et al, 2005; Rushton, 2007; Sousa et al, 2011). However, and despite the fundamental areas of interest in swimming are already identified (Smith et al, 2002; Rushton, 2007), the study of the maximum duration of exercise in which the intensity corresponding to the minimum velocity that elicits VO 2 max (vVO 2 max) can be maintained is scarcely studied.…”

“…Once it is accepted, since the final of the 20th century, that the enhancing of swimming performance should no longer be atempted only through the increase of the training volume (Olbrecht, 2000; Rushton, 2007), more objective and specific training sets are required to improve the quality of the swimming training process. Therefore, as the importance of the knowledge on the performance determinant factors, diagnosis methods, and training evaluation and control rised in the last two decades, our group elected TLim-vVO 2 max as an important topic of interest.…”

“…Lastly, accepting that top-level swimmers have their specificities (Olbrecht, 2000; Smith et al, 2002), it was assessed the TLim-vVO 2 max in elite swimmers, performing in swimming-pool, and analysed its main bioenergetical and biomechanical determinants. Respiratory parameters were measured through a validated telemetric portable gas analyzer (Cosmed K4b 2 , Rome, Italy), which allowed a breath-by-breath collection of data.…”

“…Knowing that [La − ] corresponding to AnT has been reported to have great variability between swimmers (Olbrecht, 2000; Fernandes et al, 2011), the methodology for vAnT assessment used by Fernandes et al (2008) (mathematical modelling of the [La − ]/velocity curve) was considered more appropriated than the commonly used (linear inter or extrapolation of the [La − ]/velocity curve), once it gives more specific and individualized values for aerobic/anaerobic transition intensities (Fernandes et al, 2011). In addition, this velocity was highly correlated to vVO 2 max, in accordance to previous available results (Billat et al, 1996; Faina et al, 1997; Renoux, 2001; Fernandes et al, 2006a).…”