RELATIONSHIP AMONG DIFFERENT PERFORMANCE TESTS TO ESTIMATE MAXIMAL AEROBIC SWIMMING SPEED

Abstract

376 We demonstrated that T-30 (30 mins swimming test) and T-2000 (2000m swimming test) as prolonged performance tests are similar to the maximal lactate steady state test (1998), but to produce these tests demanded much time. The present study, therefore, attempts to contrive a performance test to elicit endurance capacity in as short a time as possible compared to prolonged tests such as T-30 and T-2000. A total of seven highly-trained male college swimmers (20.9 ± 0.4 yrs) who met the criteria for the National Championship participated in this study. Six performance tests (T-30, T-2000, T-1500, T-10, T-600, Critical speed test) were conducted and a lactate step test (3,2,1,1× 200m) was also carried out to determine OBLA speed (speed at 4mmol/l blood lactate level) which indicates aerobic capacity. The highest mean swimming speed was observed in the T-600 (1.507 ± 0.037 m/s). Conversely, the lowest value was obtained in the T-2000 (1.420 ± 0.035 m/s). Those six values were found to increase in relation to decreased swimming distances. T-30 (1.430 ± 0.040 m/s) and T-2000 were significantly lower than T-600, T-10 (1.483 ± 0.034 m/s), T-1500 (1.446 ± 0.036 m/s) and T-CS (1.482 ± 0.035 m/s) (p<0.05), and, were also significantly different for OBLA speed (1.485 ± 0.037 m/s) (p<0.05). A significant relationship was observed between each test and OBLA speed (r=0.76-0.98; p<0.05). The relationship between T-10 and OBLA speed was appreciably close to the identity line (y=1.047×−0.068; r=0.95). The results of this study indicated that T-10 may be a reasonable and practical test to determine maximal aerobic swimming speed. Supported by The Ministry of Education, Science, Sports and Culture, Japan.