A1258150079KnoNw

1
What makes a good swimmer ? Assessing your
strengths and weaknesses. Age consideration in
performance and training.
Dr. Jeanne Dekerle
2
What makes a good swimmer ?
High Stroke length (m/cycle) and for a long
time Technique
Being more efficient !
3
What makes a good swimmer ?
High Stroke length (m/cycle) and for a long
time Technique
High stroke rate (cycle/min) and for a long
time Physiological Potential
4
VO2max Endurance
ENERGY
Sprint
5
What makes a good swimmer ?
6
Assessing your strengths and weaknesses...?
Assessing your technique - Qualitative
assessment swim analysis (video), coaching -
Quantitative assessment Number of strokes per
length At a given speed (trying to decrease
it) During a repetition (trying to maintain it
while getting tired)
7
Assessing your strengths and weaknesses...?
Assessing your physiological potential PB !

• VO2max
• maximal aerobic power

Elite swimmers have high VO2max!
Assessment 400-m pace speed that allows VO2max
to be maintained for the longest time
8
Swimmer 2 5 on a 400m 22 on a 1500m
Swimmer 1 5 on a 400m 20 on a 1500m
9
Assessing your strengths and weaknesses...?
Assessing your physiological potential PB !

1. VO2max

2. Sustainable percent of the max (VO2max)
Endurance
Assessment 1500-m up to 2000-m pace speed that
allows a high of VO2max to be maintained for a
long time
10
Swimmer 2 5 on a 400m 22 on a 1500m
Swimmer 1 215 on a 200m 5 on a 400m 20 on a
1500m
Swimmer 3 225 on a 200m 5 on a 400m 20 on a
1500m
11
Assessing your strength and weaknesses?
Assessing your physiological potential PB !

1. VO2max

2. Sustainable percent of the max (VO2max)
Endurance
3. Pure muscle potential (a muscle and a group of
muscles) anaerobic power / capacity
Peaking Strength
Maintaining
Assessment 25-m up to 200-m pace speed
developed essentially from the anaerobic energy
release
12
Assessing your strength and weaknesses?

• Technique ( resistance / Propulsion)
• Physiological potential
• Endurance 1500 m Anaerobic capacity 200 m
• VO2max 400 m Anaerobic power 50 m

Swimmer 1 215 on a 200m 5 on a 400m 20 on a
1500m
13
Assessing your strength and weaknesses?

• Technique ( resistance / Propulsion)
• Physiological potential
• Endurance 1500 m Anaerobic capacity 200 m
• VO2max 400 m Anaerobic power 50 m

Swimmer 1 215 on a 200m 5 on a 400m 20 on a
1500m
Swimmer 2 215 on a 200m 5 on a 400m 22 on a
1500m
14
Assessing your strength and weaknesses?

• Technique ( resistance / Propulsion)
• Physiological potential
• Endurance 1500 m Anaerobic capacity 200 m
• VO2max 400 m Anaerobic power 50 m

Swimmer 1 215 on a 200m 5 on a 400m 20 on a
1500m
Swimmer 3 225 on a 200m 5 on a 400m 20 on a
1500m
15
Assessing your strength and weaknesses?

• Technique ( resistance / Propulsion)
• Physiological potential
• Endurance 1500 m Anaerobic capacity 200 m
• VO2max 400 m Anaerobic power 50 m

www.inter-ex.co.uk
16
Age consideration in performance training
QUESTION 1 Age Technique
FLEXIBILITY - 2 components Dynamic flexibility is
the opposition or resistance of a joint to
motion, that is, the forces opposing
movement Static flexibility is the range of
motion about a joint, typically measured as the
degree of arc at the end of joint movement.
Decrease in flexibility with age.
17
Age consideration in performance and training
QUESTION 2 Age physiological potential
Similar or higher capacity to maintain a high
percent of VO2max than performance-matched young
control individuals. - Difference in enzymatic
activity! - Increase in the percent of type I
fibres to counterbalance the higher loss of type
II fibres
Endurance VO2max Sprint
18
Age consideration in performance and training
QUESTION 2 Age physiological potential
VO2max (ml.kg-1.min-1)
70 60 50 40 30 20
Sedentary then training
Sedentary - no training
20 40 60
Age (years)
19
Age consideration in performance and training
QUESTION 2 Age physiological potential
Endurance VO2max Sprint
The rate of decrease (10 per decade) for masters
athletes is approximately half of their sedentary
peers. Decrease of cardiovascular function
associated with aging Decrease in HRmax (half of
the age predicted decrease). Decrease in the
stroke volume Decrease of training volume
and/or intensity
20
Age consideration in performance and training
QUESTION 2 Age physiological potential
Endurance VO2max Sprint
21
Age consideration in performance and training
QUESTION 2 Age physiological potential
Endurance VO2max Sprint

• STRENGTH
• Decrease with age because of muscle atrophy
  (loss of both type I () and II () muscle
  fibres)
• but no age effect when comparing the muscle
  fibres distribution of trained athletes of
  various ages.
• Training overcomes age effect on muscle
  functions.
• Each type of training has specific impact on your
  strength.

22
Age consideration in performance and training
QUESTION 2 Age effect on sprint vs endurance
performance
23
Exponential Increase
Linear Increase
24
Linear Increase
25

• Performances are equally affected in men (30)
• Endurance performances are more affected in women

26
Age consideration in performance and training
Recap
Age technique Flexibility is affected. Age
physiological potential VO2max is the most
affected parameter. Age and performance The
rate of slowing performance is independent on
the distance for men and dependent on the
distance for women (the longest the event, the
more affected)
27
Age consideration in performance and training
QUESTION 4 Training consideration

Factor to maintain or develop Training
Flexibility Stretching post-training sessions and with weight training Weight training
VO2max (decreased) Speed / resistance training (interval training)
Muscle mass (maintained) (in all area of the body) Weight training high intensity 5 10 repetitions hypertrophy increase size of type I and II fibres Speed / resistance training in the pool
Endurance (maintained) To maintain especially women (long interval training continuous training)