Fernandes, R. J., Sousa, A., Figueiredo, P., Oliveira, N., Oliveira, J., Silva, A. J., Keskinen, K L., Rodriguez, F. A., Machado, L., & Vilas-Boas, J. P. (2010). Oxygen kinetics in a 200-m front crawl maximal swimming effort. Presentation 661 at the 2010 Annual Meeting of the American College of Sports Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland; June 2-5.

This study described VO2 kinetics during a maximal 200-m crawl stroke swimming effort, and established whether VO2peak is a good predictor of performance. Elite male swimmers (N = 7) performed an all-out 200-m crawl swim in a 25-m pool. VO2 was measured using a telemetric portable gas analyzer connected to the swimmer by a low resistance respiratory snorkel and valve system. Gas exchange parameters were measured breath-by-breath and values averaged every five seconds. VO2 kinetics parameters were determined by nonlinear mono-exponential fitting (the cardiodynamic phase was not considered).

On-VO2 kinetics started with a sudden and exponential increase in VO2 at the onset of the effort. The mean value of the amplitude of VO2 fast component was 39.7±6.5 mL/kg/min. No on-VO2 slow component was observed. Swimmers were not able to maintain the higher values of VO2 through to the end of the 200-m effort. Off-VO2 kinetics showed the typical two-phase decrease in VO2. Mean VO2peak was highly related to mean 200-m velocity (r = 0.90).

Implication. It is suggested that VO2peak is a good predictor of 200-m crawl swimming performance.

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