Objectives: The aim of this study was to measure the effect of a 30-second pre-exercise maximal voluntary hyperventilation on the performance during a 50 m front crawl. Material and methods: Nine well-trained swimmers (5 males [21.0 ± 8.5 years, 181.4 ± 3.5 cm, 71.2 ± 3.9 kg] and 4 females [21.0 ± 8.7 years, 166.2 ± 5.0 cm, 55.2 ± 2.2 kg]) performed a 50 m front crawl sprint either in normal conditions (NO) or after hyperventilation (HV) (6 maximal breathing cycles realized in 30 seconds followed by 30 seconds of rest). Results: Average velocity for the 50 m front crawl was significantly higher after HV (1.81 ± 0.13 m.s-1 vs. 1.79 ± 0.14 m.s-1, P < 0.01). As a result, performance improves (27.79 ± 2.01 s vs. 28.08 ± 2.17 s, P < 0.01). The number of breathing cycles recorded during each race was significantly lower under HV compared to NO (1.88 ± 0.92 and 2.66 ± 1.41, P < 0.01). Moreover, the first air intake was significantly delayed under HV conditions (29.55 ± 8.67 vs. 23.55 ± 6.10 m, P < 0.01). The stroke rate was slightly increased under HV conditions while stroke length was kept nearly constant. Conclusion: A pre-exercise maximal voluntary hyperventilation can significantly increase performance on the 50 m front crawl in well-trained swimmers.
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