Higher Lactate for Better Performance? A Longitudinal Case Study of a Highly Trained Female Swimmer

Area of Science:

• Sports Science
• Physiology
• Swimming Performance Analysis

Background:

• Blood lactate concentration (BLC) is a key indicator of anaerobic metabolism during intense exercise.
• Understanding the relationship between BLC and performance is crucial for optimizing training in elite athletes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To longitudinally examine the association between blood lactate concentration (BLC) and performance in 50-m and 100-m backstroke swimming.
• To investigate these relationships in a highly trained national-level female swimmer over a six-year period.

Main Methods:

• Collected BLC and race performance data from 18 50-m and 24 100-m backstroke races.
• Measured BLC using a portable analyzer and calculated swimming speed from official results.
• Employed Pearson correlation and partial correlation analyses, with statistical significance set at P < .05.

Main Results:

• Mean BLC was 15.5 mmol·L⁻¹ after 50-m races and 16.5 mmol·L⁻¹ after 100-m races, with no significant difference between distances.
• Significant correlations were found between BLC and swimming speed for both 50-m (r = .548) and 100-m (r = .503) events.
• After controlling for age, BLC remained significantly correlated with 100-m speed (r = .444) but not 50-m speed.

Conclusions:

• Elevated blood lactate concentration appears to benefit the performance of this highly trained female swimmer, particularly in the 100-m backstroke.
• Training aimed at enhancing anaerobic metabolism may improve performance in short-distance swimming.
• BLC can be a significant factor explaining performance variations in these events.