title: Can the curriculum be used to estimate critical velocity in young competitive swimmers?
abstract: The aims of the present study were to assess critical velocity using the swimmer curriculum in front crawl events and to compare critical velocity to the velocity corresponding to a 4 mmol·l(-1) of blood lactate concentration and to the velocity of a 30 min test. The sample included 24 high level male swimmers ranged between 14 and 16 years old. For each subject the critical velocity, the velocity corresponding to a 4 mmol·l(-1) of blood lactate concentration and the mean velocity of a 30 min test were determined. The critical velocity was also estimated by considering the best performance of a swimmer over several distances based on the swimmer curriculum. Critical velocity including 100, 200 and 400 m events was not different from the velocity of 4 mmol·l(-1) of blood lactate concentration. Critical velocity including all the swimmer events was not different from the velocity of a 30 min test. The assessment of critical velocity based upon the swimmer curriculum would therefore seem to be a good approach to determine the aerobic ability of a swimmer. The selection of the events to be included in critical velocity assessment must be a main concern in the evaluation of the swimmer. Key pointsCritical velocity using 100, 200 and 400 m events was not different from the velocity of 4 mmol·l(-1) of blood lactate concentration.Critical velocity using all the swimmer events was not different from the velocity of a 30 min test.The assessment of critical velocity based upon the swimmer curriculum seemed to be a good approach to determine the aerobic capacity of a swimmer.The decision on the events to be analysed must be a main concern in the evaluation of the swimmer critical velocity.
authors.affiliation: University of Beira Interior, Department of Sport Sciences. Covilhã, Portugal ; Centre of Research in Sports, Health and Human Development. Vila Real, Portugal.
authors.forename: Aldo M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Costa
authors.forename: António J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.forename: Hugo
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Louro
authors.forename: Victor M
authors.initials: VM
authors.lastname: Reis
authors.forename: Nuno D
authors.initials: ND
authors.lastname: Garrido
authors.forename: Mário C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Marques
authors.forename: Daniel A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Marinho
keywords: Training; aerobic ability; critical power.; evaluation