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·O2max), and to characterize its main determinants. Eight subjects performed an incremental test for vV·O2max assessment and, forty-eight hours later, an all-out swim at vV·O2max until exhaustion. V·O2 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·O2max and vV·O2max, averaged, respectively, 243.2 ± 30.5 s and 1.45 ± 0.08 m · s-1. TLim-vV·O2max correlated positively with V·O2 slow component (r = 0.76, p < 0.05). Negative correlations were found between TLim-vV·O2max and body surface area (r = - 0.80) and delta lactate (r = - 0.69) (p < 0.05), and with vV·O2max (r = - 0.63), v corresponding to anaerobic threshold (r = - 0.78) and the energy cost corresponding to vV·O2max (r = - 0.62) (p < 0.10). No correlations were observed between TLim-vV·O2max and stroking parameters. This study confirmed the tendency to TLim-vV·O2max be lower in the swimmers who presented higher vV·O2max and vAnT, possibly explained by their higher surface area, energy cost and anaerobic rate. Additionally, O2SC seems to be a determinant of TLim-vV·O2max.
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