Cardiorespiratory and metabolic responses to a simulated synchronized swimming routine in senior (>18 years) and comen (13-15 years) national level athletes.
OBJECTIVE
This study examined the ventilatory responses and blood lactate concentration after a simulated synchronized swimming routine of athletes of two different age categories.


METHODS
Sixteen trained female synchronized swimmers, 8 competing at the comen category (age: 13.8+/-0.2 years) and 8 competing at the senior category (age: 22.6+/-0.9 years), performed a maximal 400 m swimming test and a simulated synchronized swimming routine. Oxygen uptake (VO(2)) of the tests was obtained by backward extrapolation of a monoexponential curve fitted to the postexercise oxygen uptake data.


RESULTS
There were no differences in VO(2) at the end of the routine (37.4+/-2.7 vs 40.5+/-2 mL . kg(-1) . min(-1), or 81.8+/-3.1% and 85.8+/-2.7% of VO(2peak)) and blood lactate (5.7+/-0.9 vs 4.5+/-0.4 mmol.L(-1)) between senior and comen synchronized swimmers. There was no difference in the half-time of V.O(2) decay (T(1/2)) between the athletes of the two categories, but T(1/2) was significantly higher after the routine compared with the V.O(2peak) test for both categories (senior: 45.2+/-5.9 vs 33.1+/-2.1 s, P<0.05, comen: 38.2+/-6 vs 27.4+/-8.2 s, P<0.05). The mean end-tidal pressure of CO(2) during the second half of the recovery was higher after the routine than after the VO(2peak) test (37.2+/-1.4 vs 34.5+/-1.5 mmHg, P<0.05), possibly due to the prolonged periods of breath holding (55+/-4% of routine time). Breathing frequency was also high (30+/-2.2 breaths . min(-1)) at the later part of recovery after the routine.


CONCLUSIONS
Cardiorespiratory and metabolic responses to a simulated synchronized swimming routine were similar in senior and comen athletes. The slower recovery of V.O(2)after the routine could be related to the elevated cost of ventilation, especially during the later stages of recovery, possibly as a result of the prolonged apnea.
Bante
S
S
Department of Sports Medicine and Biology of Physical Activity, Faculty of Physical Education and Sports Science, University of Athens, Athens, Greece.
Bogdanis
G C
GC
Chairopoulou
C
C
Maridaki
M
M
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D002319:Cardiovascular System; D005080:Exercise Test; D005260:Female; D006115:Greece; D006801:Humans; D010101:Oxygen Consumption / Q000502:physiology*; D010809:Physical Fitness; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012123:Pulmonary Ventilation / Q000502:physiology*; D012137:Respiratory System; D013178:Sports Medicine; D013550:Swimming / Q000502:physiology*