Time limit at VO2max velocity in elite crawl swimmers.

The purpose of this study is to assess, with elite crawl swimmers, the time limit at the minimum velocity corresponding to maximal oxygen consumption (TLim-vV·O 2max ), and to characterize its main determinants. Eight subjects performed an incremental test for vV·O 2max assessment and, forty-eight hours later, an all-out swim at vV·O 2max until exhaustion. V·O 2 was directly measured using a telemetric portable gas analyzer and a visual pacer was used to help the swimmers keeping the predetermined velocities. Blood lactate concentrations, heart rate and stroke parameter values were also measured. TLim-vV·O 2max and vV·O 2max , averaged, respectively, 243.2 ± 30.5 s and 1.45 ± 0.08 m · s -1 . TLim-vV·O 2max correlated positively with V·O 2 slow component (r = 0.76, p < 0.05). Negative correlations were found between TLim-vV·O 2max and body surface area (r = - 0.80) and delta lactate (r = - 0.69) (p < 0.05), and with vV·O 2max (r = - 0.63), v corresponding to anaerobic threshold (r = - 0.78) and the energy cost corresponding to vV·O 2max (r = - 0.62) (p < 0.10). No correlations were observed between TLim-vV·O 2max and stroking parameters. This study confirmed the tendency to TLim-vV·O 2max be lower in the swimmers who presented higher vV·O 2max and vAnT, possibly explained by their higher surface area, energy cost and anaerobic rate. Additionally, O 2 SC seems to be a determinant of TLim-vV·O 2max .