Young Swimmers' Middle-Distance Performance Variation within a Training Season

Area of Science:

• Sports Science
• Pediatric Exercise Physiology
• Swimming Biomechanics

Background:

• Longitudinal studies are crucial for understanding the development of young athletes.
• Middle-distance swimming performance relies on a complex interplay of physiological and biomechanical factors.
• Optimizing training periodization is key for enhancing performance in age-group swimmers.

Purpose of the Study:

• To longitudinally assess anthropometric, physiological, and biomechanical changes in young swimmers over a 45-week training season.
• To determine the relationship between performance improvements and specific training variables.
• To evaluate the effectiveness of a structured training plan with multiple macrocycles.

Main Methods:

• Thirty-four swimmers (12.07 ± 1.14 years) underwent testing at four time points across three macrocycles.
• Performance was assessed via a 400m front crawl time trial.
• Biomechanical variables (stroke rate, stroke length, stroke index) and physiological markers (blood lactate, glucose) were measured.

Main Results:

• Significant improvements in 400m swimming time were observed after each macrocycle (p < 0.01).
• Early performance gains correlated with blood lactate, glucose, stroke length, and stroke index.
• Later improvements were primarily associated with increases in stroke length and stroke index.

Conclusions:

• A well-structured annual training plan with three macrocycles effectively enhances age-group swimming performance.
• Performance improvements are strongly linked to advancements in technical proficiency, particularly stroke length and stroke index.
• This study highlights the importance of periodized training for developing young middle-distance swimmers.