Relationships between energy cost, swimming velocity and speed fluctuation in c...

• Author(s): Barbosa, Tiago M. ; Lima, F. ; Portela, A. ; Novais, D. ; Machado, L. ; Colaço, P. ; Gonçalves, P. ; Fernades, R.J. ; Vilas-Boas, J.P.
• Date: 2006
• Persistent ID: http://hdl.handle.net/10198/4128
• Origin: Biblioteca Digital do IPB
• Subject(s): Competitive strokes; Energy expenditure; Energy cost; Speed fluctuation; Velocity
• Document Type: Article
• Language: English

Description

The purpose of the study was to analyse relationships between total energy expenditure (Etot), energy cost (EC), intra-cycle variation of the horizontal velocity of displacement of centre of mass (dv) and mean swimming velocity (v). 17 Portuguese elite swimmers (4 at Freestyle, 5 at Backstroke, 4 at Breaststroke and 4 at Butterfly) were submitted to an incremental set of nx200-m swims. Bioenergetical and biomechanical parameters presented significant interrelationships. For pooled data, the relationship between Etot and v was r=0.59 (p<0.01), between EC and dv was r=0.38 (p<0.01) and the polynomial relationship, between dv and v was r=0.17 (p=0.28). Individual evaluation and identification of biomechanical critical points may help the swimmers to become more efficient at a certain swimming velocity.