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Published on: January 29, 2012
Pacing in Swimming: A Systematic Review.
Katie E McGibbon1,2, D B Pyne3,4, M E Shephard5
1University of Canberra Research Institute for Sport and Exercise, University of Canberra, Building 29, Bruce, ACT, Australia. katie.mcgibbon@canberra.edu.au.
Competitive swimmers should adopt event-specific pacing strategies for optimal performance. Understanding pacing in swimming, particularly energy distribution, is key for coaches and athletes to improve race outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Sports Science
- Exercise Physiology
- Biomechanics
Background:
- Pacing strategy, or energy distribution during exercise, is critical for athletic performance.
- Water's resistance and swimming's low mechanical efficiency make pacing crucial in competitive swimming.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically review pacing strategies used by competitive swimmers.
- To examine the reproducibility and impact of different pacing strategies on performance variables.
- To provide practical insights for coaches and sports science practitioners.
Main Methods:
- Systematic review of 23 peer-reviewed studies.
- Searched databases: Web of Science, Scopus, SPORTDiscus, PubMed.
- Included pool-based swimming competitions and experimental trials.
Main Results:
- Short/middle-distance: maintain velocity; long-distance: low lap variability and final spurt.
- Individual Medley (IM): conserve energy during butterfly for subsequent legs.
- Swimmer pacing profiles are stable regardless of competition factors.
Conclusions:
- Event-specific pacing strategies enhance competitive swimming performance.
- Individualized pacing strategies are needed, considering swimmer differences across distances and strokes.
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