Comparison of Ultra-Short Race Pace and High-Intensity Interval Training in Age Group Competitive Swimmers

Area of Science:

• Sports Science
• Swimming Performance
• Physiological Adaptations

Background:

• Elite swimmers require training methods that enhance 100m freestyle performance.
• Understanding the acute physiological and kinematic responses to different training protocols is crucial for optimizing training.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the acute physiological and kinematic responses of Ultra-Short Race Pace Training (USRPT) and High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) in 100m freestyle swimmers.
• To determine which training method elicits more specific adaptations for the 100m freestyle event.

Main Methods:

• Eighteen national-level swimmers (8 boys, 10 girls) aged 13.5 ± 0.1 years participated.
• Swimmers completed two protocols: USRPT (2 × 10 × 25 m) and HIIT (5 × 50 m) at 100m freestyle race pace.
• Measurements included swimming velocity (SV), distance per stroke (DPS), stroke index (SI), blood lactate (BL), blood glucose (BG), heart rate (HR), and rate of perceived exertion (RPE).

Main Results:

• USRPT resulted in significantly higher swimming velocity (SV) compared to HIIT (p < 0.001).
• USRPT elicited significantly lower distance per stroke (DPS) and stroke index (SI) (p = 0.007 and p < 0.001, respectively).
• Lower blood lactate (BL), blood glucose (BG), heart rate (HR), and rate of perceived exertion (RPE) were observed after USRPT compared to HIIT (p ≤ 0.001, p = 0.037, p < 0.001, and p = 0.015, respectively).

Conclusions:

• USRPT, specifically 20 × 25 m at 100m pace, appears to induce more specific kinematic and physiological responses for 100m freestyle than a 5 × 50 m HIIT set.
• USRPT may be a more effective training strategy for enhancing 100m freestyle performance due to its specificity.