COMPARISON OF DIFFERENT METHODS FOR THE SWIMMING AEROBIC CAPACITY EVALUATION

Abstract

This study compared velocity (v) and bioenergetical factors using different methods applied for the swimming aerobic capacity evaluation. Ten elite female swimmers (17.6 +/- 1.9 years, 1.70 +/- 0.05 m, and 61.3 +/- 5.8 kg) performed an intermittent incremental velocity protocol until voluntary exhaustion to determine the v associated with the individual anaerobic threshold (IAnT), ventilatory threshold (VT), heart rate threshold (HRT), lactate threshold fixed in 3.5 mmol. L-1 (LT3.5), and maximal oxygen uptake (<(V)over dot>O(2)max). Two-tothree 30-minute submaximal constant tests for the v assessment at maximal lactate steady state (MLSS). The v, gas exchange, heart rate, and blood lactate concentration variables were monitored in all tests. The values of all parameters at the v corresponding to MLSS, IAnT, VT, and HRT were similar (p <= 0.05), with high agreement (r(2) > 0.400), except for carbon dioxide (<(V)over dot>CO2) that was higher for MLSS compared with VT (p <= 0.05). However, the v at LT3.5 was higher when compared with other methods for v and bioenergetical factors. It is suggested that IAnT, VT, and HRT methods are better predictors of the intensity corresponding to the commonly accepted gold-standard method (i. e., MLSS) for the aerobic capacity evaluation compared with LT3.5.