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Int J Sports Med 2010; 31(6): 421-427
DOI: 10.1055/s-0030-1248286
Training & Testing

© Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York

Examining the Accumulated Oxygen Deficit Method in Front Crawl Swimming

V. M. Reis1 , 2 , D. A. Marinho2 , 3 , F. B. Policarpo2 , A. L. Carneiro2 , C. Baldari4 , A. J. Silva1 , 2
  • 1Department of Sport Sciences, Exercise and Health, University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, Vila Real, Portugal
  • 2Research Centre in Sport, Health and Human Development, Vila Real, Portugal
  • 3Department of Sport Sciences, University of Beira Interior, Covilhã, Portugal
  • 4IUSM, University of Rome, Rome, Italy
Further Information

Publication History

accepted after revision January 19, 2010

Publication Date:
18 March 2010 (online)

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Abstract

The present study investigated the Accumulated Oxygen Deficit (AOD) method in front crawl swimming with the aims to assess the robustness of the oxygen uptake/swimming velocity regression line and to quantify the precision of the AOD. Twenty-nine male swimmers performed two swimming tests in different days, with a 24 h recovery between tests: a graded test and an all-out test. The all-out test was performed either in 100 m (n=11), 200 m (n=13) or 400 m (n=5). Through all testing expired gases were collected breath by breath and analysed with a K4b2 Gas Analyser (Cosmed, Rome, Italy) connected to an AquaTrainer Valve (Cosmed, Rome, Italy). The error of oxygen uptake/swimming velocity regression lines was ≈4–5 ml·kg−1·min−1) and the regressions allowed an extrapolation of the energy cost to higher intensities with a standard error of prediction of ≈3–4 ml·kg−1·min−1. However, the data variability was considerable (95% confidence intervals of the linear extrapolation larger than 13 ml·kg−1·min−1). The AOD imprecision varied among the three distance events from ≈3–13 ml·kg−1. These absolute errors are small, considering the time that subjects took to cover the three distances, but relative to the AOD values that were estimated they can be considered high, especially in the 400 m bout.

Key words

oxygen uptake - swimming velocity - regression error - anaerobic energy

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Correspondence

Prof. Victor Machado Reis

UTAD Sports Apartado 1013

5000 Vila Real

Portugal

Phone: +351/259/350877

Fax: +351/259/330168

Email: vreis@utad.pt

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