Comparison of submaximal front crawl and breast stroke swimming in relation to energy expenditure

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to compare the energy expenditure during submaximal front crawl (Fr) and breast stroke (Br) swimming. Six male college swimmers performed submaximal and maximal exercise tests in both styles in a swimming flume. In submaximal exercise tests, they swam at the following given velocities for 5 min, Br: 0.3, 0.5 and 0.7 m/sec; Fr: 0.3, 0.5, 0.7 and 0.9 m/sec. In maximal exercise tests, following submaximal swimming at 0.9 m/sec in Br and 1.1 m/sec in Fr, swimming velocity was increased progressively by 0.1 m/sec every 1 min until the subjects reached to voluntary exhaustion. VO2max obtained from the maximal swimming tests in Br and Fr were 4.27 and 4.18 l/min, respectively. And there was no significant difference between these two values. VO2 during Br and Fr swimming at four and five submaximal velocities were 1.06, 1.30, 1.79, 2.65 l/min and 1.17, 1.34, 1.63, 2.04, 3.05 l/min, respectively. And, it was found that VO2 at 0.3 and 0.9 m/sec were significantly different (p < 0.05 and p < 0.01) between Fr and Br. VO2 in both styles curvilinearly increased with swimming velocity, and these relationships were well fitted for the regression equation of the second order (Br: y = 3.84625x2 - 1.95914x + 1.310463,r2 = 0.999 (p < 0.05), Fr: y = 3.233446x2 - 2.28136x + 1.611524, r2 = 0.979 (p < 0.05)). It was calculated that the two curves crossed at a point on 0.49 m/sec, and that VO2 at this point was 1.27 l/min. This value equivalented to 30.4% VO2max in Br and 29.7% VO2max in Fr.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)