Abstract
The aim of the present study was to test the effectiveness of carbohydrate (CHO) feeding supplemented every 2.5-km, as in official races, on the performance, rating of perceived exertion (RPE), and glycaemia during a 10-km intermittent training workout in elite open-water swimmers. A randomized crossover design was used. Participants completed two 10-km intermittent training sessions (20 × 500-m). The relative velocity was expressed in percentage of a single 500-m. Glycaemia was monitored by continuous glucose monitoring. Participants had to ingest either 1 L of tap water (WAT; 0.50 L·h−1) or 120 g of CHO in the form of 8% solution (60 g·h−1). The 15-point RPE scale was used during the trials. A two-way ANOVA for repeated measures was performed (p < 0.05). The relative velocity of each 500-m was not significantly different between the two trials. No significant differences emerged in the relative velocity of the last 500-m between trials. Average RPE was not statistically different between the two trials (11 ± 3 in WAT and 12 ± 3 in CHO). In the last 500-m, glycaemia was significantly higher in the CHO trial (5.92 ± 0.47 mmol·L−1 in CHO; 5.61 ± 0.61 mmol·L−1 in WAT). CHO ingestion did not improve performance or affect RPE during a 10-km intermittent training in elite open-water swimmers.
Highlights
Competitive swimming includes 17 pool individual events from 50-m to 1500 m (21 s to approximately 15 min) and three open water events: 5–10 and 25-km, lasting from less than 1 h to approximately 6 h
Environmental challenges may have an influence on the effective distance covered by swimmers and on their nutritional strategies [5]
Significant differences emerged in the relative velocity between the trials (F(1,9)
Summary
Competitive swimming includes 17 pool individual events from 50-m to 1500 m (21 s to approximately 15 min) and three open water events: 5–10 and 25-km, lasting from less than 1 h to approximately 6 h. Open-water swimming races include three official race distances: 5, 10, and 25-km, but only the. Environmental challenges (unpredictable waves, tides, and currents) may have an influence on the effective distance covered by swimmers and on their nutritional strategies [5]. Both the shorter (5–10-km) and the longer (25-km) open-water events are completed on a loop course (normally of 2.5-km), and at the end of each loop floating or stationary feeding stations are positioned.
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