Swimming with Swimsuit and Wetsuit at Typical vs. Cold-water
Temperatures (26 vs. 18 ℃)

Ana Gay; Rodrigo Zacca; J. Arturo Abraldes; Esther Morales-Ortíz; Gracia López-Contreras; Ricardo J. Fernandes; Raúl Arellano

doi:10.1055/a-1481-8473

International Journal of Sports Medicine, Table of Contents

Int J Sports Med 2021; 42(14): 1305-1312
DOI: 10.1055/a-1481-8473

Training & Testing

Swimming with Swimsuit and Wetsuit at Typical vs. Cold-water Temperatures (26 vs. 18 ℃)

Ana Gay

¹Aquatics Lab. Department of Physical Education and Sports. Faculty of Sport Sciences, University of Granada, Granada, Spain

,

Rodrigo Zacca

²Centre of Research, Education, Innovation and Intervention in Sport (CIFI2D), Faculty of Sport, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal

³Porto Biomechanics Laboratory (LABIOMEP), Faculty of Sport, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal

⁴Ministry of Education of Brazil, CAPES, Brasilia, Brazil

,

J. Arturo Abraldes

⁵Research Group Movement, Science and Sport, Faculty of Sport Science, University of Murcia, Spain Add: ResearcherID: G-1635-201

,

Esther Morales-Ortíz

¹Aquatics Lab. Department of Physical Education and Sports. Faculty of Sport Sciences, University of Granada, Granada, Spain

,

Gracia López-Contreras

¹Aquatics Lab. Department of Physical Education and Sports. Faculty of Sport Sciences, University of Granada, Granada, Spain

,

Ricardo J. Fernandes

²Centre of Research, Education, Innovation and Intervention in Sport (CIFI2D), Faculty of Sport, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal

³Porto Biomechanics Laboratory (LABIOMEP), Faculty of Sport, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal

,

Raúl Arellano

¹Aquatics Lab. Department of Physical Education and Sports. Faculty of Sport Sciences, University of Granada, Granada, Spain

› Author Affiliations

Abstract

This study aimed to compare three swimming conditions in a swimming flume with water at 26 ℃ (using swimsuit) and 18 ℃ (randomly with swimsuit and wetsuit). Seventeen swimmers (32.4±14.7 years old, 175.6±0.06 cm height, and 70.4±9.8 kg body mass) performed three bouts until exhaustion at a 400-m front crawl pace (24 h intervals). ANOVA repeated measures compared the experimental conditions. Swimming at 26 ℃ with swimsuit evidenced a higher metabolic demand (total energy expenditure; (E)), comparing to 18 ℃ swimsuit (p=0.05) and with 18 ℃ wetsuit (p=0.04). The 26 ℃ swimsuit condition presented higher peak oxygen uptake (VO2peak), blood lactate concentrations ([La-]_peak), rate of perceived exertion (RPE), maximal heart rate (HR_max), anaerobic lactic energy (AnL), E, energy cost (C), V̇O2 amplitude (Ap), and stroke rate (SR), but lower stroke length (SL) and stroke index (SI) than 18 ℃ wetsuit. The 18 ℃ swimsuit condition (comparing to wetsuit) lead to higher V̇O2peak, [La-]_peak, HR_max, E_, C, Ap, and SR but lower SL and SI. Swimming at aerobic power intensity with swim and wetsuit at 18 ℃ does not induce physiologic and biomechanical disadvantages compared to 26 ℃. The results suggested that the use of wetsuit might increase performance at 18 ℃ water temperature for competitive master swimmers. Its use is thus recommended in open water swimming competitions when the water temperature is 18–20 ℃.

Key words

wetsuit - energetics - biomechanics - swimming flume - open water - neoprene

Full Text

References

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