Performance and physiological responses to a 5-week synchronized swimming technical training programme in humans

Abstract

A synchronized swimming team routine (TR) is composed of figures of varying degrees of difficulty. Swimmers able to perform these figures separately underwent a 5-week technical training programme (TTP) to assemble a TR. Little is known about the physiological responses to this kind of TTP. A group of 13 trained synchronized swimmers [mean age 14 (SD 1) years] were tested before and after a 5-week TTP. The TR lasted 5 min, and 45% of that time was spent underwater. The swimmers' technique scores in the TR improved significantly from 4.5 (SD 1.9) before to 5.8 (SD 2.3) points after the TTP (P < 0.01), but their swimming performances, peak oxygen uptake (V˙O_2peak), blood lactate concentration, and heart rate measured during a 400-m swim were lower after the TTP. The improvement in the technique scores correlated negatively with the change in V˙O_2peak (r = −0.57; P < 0.05). The greater the improvement in the technique score, the greater the decrease in V˙O_2peak. The overall synchronized swimming skill was assessed by the best score the swimmers obtained in four to six competitions over a season. This score was related to the 400-m swimming performance, V˙O_2peak, maximal distance covered in apnoea, and the breath-hold time. The 5-week TTP therefore improved technical performance during the TR without improving physiological, swimming or apnoea performances. However, the physiological profile of each swimmer was linked to the synchronized swimming skill.