Lite, R., Hammerstrom, K., Michelsen, K., & Patel, P. (2014). Lactate testing of Division III collegiate women swimmers. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 46(5), Supplement abstract number 235.

This study observed the use of blood lactate testing as part of an athlete profile of female Division III Collegiate Swimmers (N = 12). Ss were tested aerobically and anaerobically. Swimmers were classified as either sprinters or endurance swimmers based on a questionnaire. Swimmers indicating races over 200m were classified as endurance swimmers. The aerobic test consisted of finding a 400m freestyle swim time that elicited a blood lactate level of between 2.5-3.9 mmol/L and a 400m freestyle time that produced a blood lactate level over 4.0 mmol/L. Heart rate was measured immediately after each swim and blood lactate was sampled one minute after each swim. The 4.0 mmol/L onset of blood lactate accumulation (OBLA) was found by interpolation of the two data points. The anaerobic test consisted of an all-out 100m swim in a swimmer’s preferred stroke. Blood lactate was measured 1, 3, and 5 minutes after the swim. %max La, %HR at the OBLA, and swim time at the OBLA were calculated.

There were four endurance and eight sprint swimmers. The average swim speed at 4.0 mmol/L OBLA was 71.6 + 7.7 m/min. The average heart rate at 4.0 mmol/L OBLA was 163.4 + 20.0 bpm. This was at 81.9% of a S’s age-predicted maximum heart rate. The average 100-m sprint maximum blood lactate was 10.2 + 2.5 mmol/L and the OBLA was at 41.3 + 11.0% of the maximum blood lactate value. There was no significant difference between sprint and endurance swimmers in any variable.

Implication. . Lactate testing failed to differentiate female endurance from sprint swimmers. The use of a 100-m swim to indicate anaerobic capacity is questionable. Troup (http://coachsci.sdsu.edu/swim/bullets/icar8990/icar12.htm) reported that 100-m freestyle events were 55% anaerobic and 45% aerobic. Consequently, the measures used and lactate values tell nothing about the type of event favored by female swimmers.

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