Aerobic cost in elite female adolescent swimmers

Maximal performance in swimming depends on metabolic power and the economy of swimming. Thus, the energy cost of swimming (economy = V̇O₂/V, C_s ) and maximal aerobic power ( V̇O_2max ) in elite young female swimmers (n = 10, age: 15.3±1.5 years) and their relationships to race times (50-1000 m) and national ranking were examined. V̇O₂ increased exponentially with velocity (V), (V̇O ₂ = 5.95+(-10.58V)+5.84V²) to a maximal V̇O ₂ of 2.71 ± 0.50 L·min^-1 (46.7 ± 8.2 mL·kg^-1·min^-1) at a free swimming velocity of 1.37 ± 0.07 m·s^-1. C_s was constant up to 1.2 m·s^-1 (21.5 mL·m^-1), however was significantly higher at 1.36 m·s^-1 (27.3 mL·m ^-1). Peak [La] was 5.34 ± 2.26 mM. C_s expressed as a percentage of Cs at maximal swimming velocity was significantly correlated with race times and ranking across a number of distances. The data for these elite females demonstrate that the energy cost of swimming is a good predictor of performance across a range of distances. However, as swimming performance is determined by a combination of factors, these findings warrant further examination.