Author(s): NICOLAOU, K., LOUCAIDES, G., Institution: CYPRUS SPORTS ORGANIZATION, Country: CYPRUS, Abstract-ID: 2477

INTRODUCTION:
In improving swimming performance, training volume (VOL) increases, or short high intensity speed efforts, or both in the right mixture apply in the regime of athletes (2,3). A previous study involving elite adult swimmers suggested that with an increase of training VOL, that had a polarized method (POL), small improvements in 100m performance was produced. Studies with elite adults show slightly improved performance that is not highly consistent to all (1). Critical velocity (CV) is the swimming speed an athlete can hold for a long time without significant exhaustion and drop in speed (5). The incremental speed intensity spectrum demonstrates that heart rate (HR) and LA show a positive linear correlation (4). The aim of this study was to observe how 6 weeks intervention (increase in training VOL with: small segment of those km in high intensity, and a big segment of km in low and middle intensity training), using individual training speeds, affected performance in adolescent swimmers.
METHODS:
Middle adolescence swimmers, N=7 (5 females, and 2 males avg.16.1 y old +1.1years, avg b.w. 59.6kg +6.8kg), underwent an incremental step test, 6x100m, departing every three-min and reaching their true max effort at the 6th repetition. Warm-ups varied between 500-700m. Two evaluations occurred, T1 and T2, six weeks apart. In T1 & T2, it was recorded: body mass (kg), (heart rate (bpm), and LA m.mol during each step), LA, post max effort, to calculate removal rates. Active recovery took place post max effort. All recorded info were analyzed and presented on a graph with X and Y axis of LA m.mol & V m/sec respectively. After T1, training indices had an increased km load (compared before T1), between 11-18%. Training VOL was broken down for simplification in three intensities z1 & z2 (A1), z3 & z4 (A2), and z5 (A3). The km in the intervention phase were broken down in terms of intensities as: A1= 45%, A2=46%, and A3=+6%. .
RESULTS:
After T2 these results emerge. An increase in lactate tolerance, or LAMAX in 6 out of 7 swimmers (86%), with 1.9, sd +2.7 m.mol. A smaller increase, 4 out of 7 swimmers (57%) produced faster times, with 1.2 sec, sd+ 3.6sec. In T2, 1 out of 7 swimmers (14%) was able to lower LAMAX values and remove lactic acid (LA) post max effort, 4 out of 7 (57%) maintained a similar removal rates, and 2 out of 7 (29%) revealed a lower removal ability.
CONCLUSION:
The individual training zones from the LA & V curve, during T1, were used. The removal rates of LA post max effort did not reveal great results, probably due to further aerobic work that is needed for that mechanism. Obstacles can materialize during the training process, and each swimmer has different coping mechanisms brought forward for adaptation. In conclusion this intervention, showed a promising improvement for some adolescent swimmers in swim performance, and more in LA tolerance. 1. M J Costa et al 2013 2,3. A G Toubekis et al 2006, 2013 4. A Lucia et al 2002 5. K Wakayoshi et al 1992