ABSTRACT
The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationships between swimming economy and selected body dimensions, stroking characteristics, intracycle body velocity variation and performance. Twelve well-trained male swimmers participated in this study. Every swimmer performed 3 × 250 m submaximal swims, progressive intensity, and a 400 m maximal swim. Oxygen uptake was measured from the expired air collected during the first 20 seconds of recovery, using the retroextrapolation method. A swimming economy profile was determined for each subject. Oxygen uptake measured after the maximal swim was considered to be the V□O2 peak for each swimmer in that stroke. Swimmers were filmed underwater (sagital plane) during the 400 m swim to measure intracycle hip velocity variation. Every swimming effort was filmed for the assessment of stroke rate and effective velocity. Energy cost of backstroke showed a strong correlation with body dimensions, especially height and arm span. In both strokes, O2 uptake at the velocity of 1.3 m.s−1 was inversely associated with best performance in the 200 and 400 m. No significant relationships were found between stroke cycle characteristics and energy cost at any velocity, but intracycle velocity variation amplitude of backstroke was positively correlated to energy cost at 1.1 and 1.2 m.s−1.
