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Int J Sports Med 2006; 27(11): 894-899
DOI: 10.1055/s-2006-923776
Training & Testing

© Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York

Evaluation of the Energy Expenditure in Competitive Swimming Strokes

T. M. Barbosa1 , R. Fernandes2 , K. L. Keskinen3 , 4 , P. Colaço2 , C. Cardoso2 , J. Silva2 , J. P. Vilas-Boas2
  • 1Department of Sports Sciences, Polytechnic Institute of Bragança, Bragança, Portugal
  • 2Faculty of Sports Sciences, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
  • 3Finnish Society for Research in Sport and Physical Education, Helsinki, Finland
  • 4Department of Biology of Physical Activity, Universisty of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland
Further Information

Publication History

Accepted after revision: December 5, 2005

Publication Date:
11 April 2006 (online)

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Abstract

The purpose of this study was to measure and compare the total energy expenditure of the four competitive swimming strokes. Twenty-six swimmers of international level were submitted to an incremental set of 200-m swims (5 swimmers at Breaststroke, 5 swimmers at Backstroke, 4 swimmers at Butterfly and 12 swimmers at Front Crawl). The starting velocity was approximately 0.3 m · s-1 less than a swimmer's best performance and thereafter increased by 0.05 m · s-1 after each swim until exhaustion. Cardio-pulmonary and gas exchange parameters were measured breath-by-breath (BxB) for each swim to analyze oxygen consumption (V·O2) and other energetic parameters by portable metabolic cart (K4b2, Cosmed, Rome, Italy). A respiratory snorkel and valve system with low hydrodynamic resistance was used to measure pulmonary ventilation and to collect breathing air samples. Blood samples from the ear lobe were collected before and after each swim to analyze blood lactate concentration (YSI 1500 L, Yellow Springs, Ohio, USA). Total energy expenditure (Ėtot), was calculated for each 200-m stage. Ėtot differed significantly between the strokes at all selected velocities. At the velocity of 1.0 m · s-1 and of 1.2 m · s-1 the Ėtot was significantly higher in Breaststroke than in Backstroke, in Breaststroke than in Freestyle and in Butterfly than in Freestyle. At the velocity of 1.4 m · s-1, the Ėtot was significantly higher in Breaststroke than in Backstroke, in Backstroke than in Freestyle, in Breaststroke than in Freestyle and in Butterfly than in Freestyle. At the velocity of 1.6 m · s-1, the Ėtot was significantly higher in Breaststroke and in Butterfly than in Freestyle. As a conclusion, Ėtot of well-trained competitive swimmers was measured over a large range of velocities utilising a new BxB technique. Freestyle was shown to be the most economic among the competitive swimming strokes, followed by the Backstroke, the Butterfly and the Breaststroke.

Key words

Total energy expenditure - aerobic contribution - anaerobic contribution - swimming strokes

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Tiago Barbosa

Department of Sports Sciences, Polytechnic Institute of Bragança

Campus Sta. Apolónia

Apartado 1101

5301 - 856 Bragança

Portugal

Phone: + 351273303000

Fax: + 35 12 73 30 31 35

Email: barbosa@ipb.pt