title: Metabolic and ventilatory thresholds assessment in front crawl swimming.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to assess and characterize the ventilatory anaerobic threshold in swimming, and to verify if the anaerobic metabolic threshold could be accurately estimated using ventilatory parameters.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-eight national-level male swimmers performed a n x 200 m front crawl individualized intermittent incremental protocol, with 30 s rest intervals, until exhaustion. The ventilatory variables and heart rate were continuously measured using a telemetric portable gas analyser. The capillary blood samples for lactate concentration analysis were collected from the earlobe at rest, during rest intervals, and at the end of exercise.
  
  
  RESULTS
  No significant differences were observed between the ventilatory and metabolic thresholds for lactate concentration, heart rate and velocity (P=0.62, 0.80 and 0.78, respectively). The Bland-Altman plot revealed higher agreement between both methods for heart rate and velocity values. Ventilatory anaerobic threshold occurred at a swimming velocity corresponding to 88% of maximal oxygen uptake and lactate concentration mean values at ventilatory and metabolic thresholds were lower than 3 mmol.L(-1).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Swimming anaerobic metabolic threshold could be accurately estimated using ventilatory parameters. Moreover, ventilatory anaerobic threshold occurred at similar %VO2max than in other sports. The lactate concentration mean values at ventilatory and metabolic thresholds were lower than the reference value of 4 mmol.L(-1) evidencing that, in highly trained swimmers, individualized values of anaerobic threshold should be used instead of general references.
authors: Centre of Research, Education, Innovation and Intervention in Sport, Faculty of Sport, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal - ricfer@fade.up.pt.
authors: J
authors: J
authors: Ribeiro
authors: P
authors: P
authors: Figueiredo
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Sousa
authors: K
authors: K
authors: De Jesus
authors: K
authors: K
authors: Keskinen
authors: J P
authors: JP
authors: Vilas-Boas
authors: R J
authors: RJ
authors: Fernandes
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D015308:Anaerobic Threshold / Q000502:physiology*; D004734:Energy Metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D019344:Lactic Acid / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D010101:Oxygen Consumption / Q000502:physiology; D013550:Swimming / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D019344:Lactic Acid