The medical and scientific analysis for improving performance of elite swimmers ; A longitudinal study

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A longitudinal study used elite swimmers was performed 1) to clarify the determinants of swimming performance in each distance event based on the physiological and biomechanical analysis, 2) to examine the relationship between the changes in measured variables and the changes in performance, and 3) to determine the propelling efficiency which can evaluate stroke technique objectively.The subjects were fifteen elite Japanese female swimmers (age : 21±1 yrs) who belonged to an inter-college champion team, including the participants to Olympic, Asian Games, Universiade, and so on. Maximal oxygen uptake (VO_2max), maximal blood lactate concentration (LAmax), and swimming speed at onset of blood lactate accumulation (V@OBLA) were measured as indices of physiological capacity. Also a drag coefficient, a drag exponent, drag-swimming speed relationship and maximal propulsive power (MPP), propelling efficiency (ep) were determined as indices of biomechanical characteristics. All biomechanical a … More nalysis were completed with a modified MAD system which is similar to that described by Toussaint.When swimming performance was related to all measured variables, significant correlations were observed between sprint performance and MPP, LAmax and a better physique, and between distance performance and V@OBLA and specific stroke technique to reduce drag, while no significant relationship was found on VO_2max. Also, when changes in swimming performance was related to changes in measured variables, only the reduction of drag in maximal swimming was significantly related to the improvement of swimming performance. This finding suggests that the development of swimming performance in elite swimmer would be strongly attributed to the improving stroke technique. Furthermore, ep of the subjects used in this study was 73.2±8.3%, which was rather higher than those reported in the previous studies. In conclusion, it revealed that superior stroke technique to reduce drag and with a higher ep should be considered more significant determinants of better performance in elite swimmers. Less