Physiological responses to high-intensity exercises using tethered swimming and Wingate cycling in competitive swimmers

Abstract

Introduction: The Wingate anaerobic cycling test (WAnT) is most commonly used to evaluate the anaerobic capacity and to determine peak and mean force values using a cycle ergometer. The tethered swimming test (TST) was developed by adapting a Wingate-style protocol during swimming; it is the most widely used method of estimating propelling force during swimming. Theoretically, the maximal tethered swimming force corresponds to the propelling force that a swimmer must produce to overcome hydrodynamic resistance at the maximal swimming speed. Peak and mean forces during maximal TST are significantly correlated with the sprint swimming speed. This study aimed to compare several physiological responses (e.g., blood lactate concentration, heart rate, rate of perceived exertion, peak force, and mean force) between the TST and WAnT and to investigate the reliability of the TST for evaluating the anaerobic capacity of competitive swimmers.