Oxygen uptake kinetics and biological age in relation to pulling force and 400-m front crawl performance in young swimmers

(Die Kinetik der Sauerstoffaufnahme und das biologische Alter im Zusammenhang mit der Zugkraft und der Leistung beim 400-m-Kraulen bei jungen Schwimmern)

Background: The study aimed to assess differences in the biological age (BA) of 13-year-old swimmers and show their ability, as biologically younger—late mature or older—early mature, to develop fast 60-s oxygen uptake (VO2) kinetics and tethered swimming strength. Furthermore, the interplay between swimming strength, VO2, and 400-m front crawl race performance was examined. Methods: The study involved 36 competitive young male swimmers (metrical age: 12.9 ± 0.56 years). Depending on BA examination, the group was divided into early-mature (BA: 15.8 ± 1.18 years, n = 13) and late-mature (BA: 12.9 ± 0.60 years, n = 23) participants, especially for the purpose of comparing tethered swimming indices, i.e., average values of force (Fave) and VO2 (breath-by-breath analysis) kinetic indices, measured simultaneously in 1-min tethered front crawl swimming. From the 400-m racing stroke rate, stroke length kinematics was retrieved. Results: In the 1-min tethered front crawl test, early-mature swimmers obtained higher results of absolute values of VO2 and Fave. Conversely, when VO2 was present relatively to body mass and pulling force (in ml/min/kg/N), late-mature swimmers showed higher O2 relative usage. Late-mature swimmers generally exhibited a slower increase in VO2 during the first 30 s of 60 s. VO2, Fave, BA, and basic swimming kinematic stroke length were significantly interrelated and influenced 400-m swimming performance. Conclusion: The 1-min tethered swimming test revealed significant differences in the homogeneous calendar age/heterogeneous BA group of swimmers. These were distinguished by the higher level of VO2 kinetics and pulling force in early-mature individuals and lower efficiency per unit of body mass per unit of force aerobic system in late-mature peers. The higher VO2 kinetics and tethered swimming force were further translated into 400-m front crawl speed and stroke length kinematics.
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Bibliographische Detailangaben
Schlagworte:
Notationen:Nachwuchssport Ausdauersportarten
Veröffentlicht in:Frontiers in Physiology
Sprache:Englisch
Veröffentlicht: 2023
Online-Zugang:https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2023.1229007
Jahrgang:14
Seiten:1229007
Dokumentenarten:Artikel
Level:hoch