Pacing Behavior Development in Adolescent Swimmers: A Large-Scale Longitudinal Data Analysis.

Area of Science:

• Sports Science
• Human Movement Science
• Performance Analysis

Background:

• Understanding pacing development in adolescent swimmers is crucial for optimizing training.
• Previous research has not fully disentangled age, experience, and performance level effects on pacing strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate pacing development in adolescent swimmers using a large-scale longitudinal design.
• To differentiate the effects of age and experience on pacing strategies.
• To compare pacing behaviors across different adult performance levels.

Main Methods:

• Longitudinal analysis of 100-m and 200-m freestyle swimmers' split times (2000-2021).
• Inclusion of swimmers aged 12-24 years with at least three competitive seasons.
• Multilevel modeling to assess age, experience, and performance level impacts on 50-m split times.

Main Results:

• Older male swimmers exhibit faster first 50m splits, a trait seen in elite swimmers.
• Increased race experience leads to slower initial splits for both male and female swimmers.
• Elite swimmers demonstrate more even pacing, with females differentiating earlier than males.

Conclusions:

• Pacing development in adolescent swimmers is influenced by age and experience.
• Elite adult swimmers display pacing behaviors adaptable to adolescent demands.
• Individualized monitoring and optimization of pacing are key for elite swimming development.