title: Blood lactate concentration and clearance in elite swimmers during competition.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Blood lactate concentration, [BLa], after swimming events might be influenced by demographic features and characteristics of the swim race, whereas active recovery enhances blood lactate removal. Our aims were to (1) examine how sex, age, race distance, and swim stroke influenced [BLa] after competitive swimming events and (2) develop a practical model based on recovery swim distance to optimize blood lactate removal.
  
  
  METHODS
  We retrospectively analyzed postrace [BLa] from 100 swimmers who competed in the finals at the Canadian Swim Championships. [BLa] was also assessed repeatedly during the active recovery. Generalized estimating equations were used to evaluate the relationship between postrace [BLa] with independent variables.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Postrace [BLa] was highest following 100-200 m events and lowest after 50 and 1500 m races. A sex effect for postrace [BLa] was observed only for freestyle events. There was a negligible effect of age on postrace [BLa]. A model was developed to estimate an expected change in [BLa] during active recovery (male = 0; female = 1): [BLa] change after active recovery = -3.374 + (1.162 × sex) + (0.789 × postrace [BLa]) + (0.003 × active recovery distance).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings indicate that swimmers competing at an elite standard display similar postrace [BLa] and that there is little effect of age on postrace [BLa] in competitive swimmers aged 14 to 29 y.
authors.affiliation: Canadian Sport Centre Ontario, Toronto, Canada, and the School of Kinesiology and Health Science, York University, Toronto, Canada.
authors.forename: Jason D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Vescovi
authors.forename: Olesya
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Falenchuk
authors.forename: Greg D
authors.initials: GD
authors.lastname: Wells
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D019344:Lactic Acid / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008954:Models, Biological; D009119:Muscle Contraction; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000378:metabolism*; D010807:Physical Endurance; D020127:Recovery of Function; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012737:Sex Factors; D013550:Swimming; D013997:Time Factors; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D019344:Lactic Acid