A moderate speed is lower than the speed associated to the Maximal Lactate Steady State (MLSS). Heavy speeds range between MLSS and Critical Speed (CS). Severe speeds are higher than CS and enable VO2max to be attained during exercise while when swimming at very severe speeds, the time to exhaustion is too short for VO2max to be reached. The speed spontaneously chosen during the first 15 min of a 2-hour exercise corresponds to MLSS. Two performances (200 and 400m) enable to determine CSS. Central and peripheral adaptations induced by continuous training performed at moderate intensity are limited in highly trained athletes. Long interval training at heavy intensity would improve muscular buffering capacities. Short interval training at severe intensity is often presented as a good training method for improving performances of highly trained athletes by increasing VO2max and the anaerobic Potential. Repeated sprints at very severe intensities would also induce an improvement of VO2max.
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