%0 Journal Article
%T Physiological and Biomechanical Evaluation of a Training Macrocycle in Children Swimmers
%J Sports | An Open Access Journal from MDPI
%D 2019
%R https://doi.org/10.3390/sports7030057
%X Physiological responses related to 400-m front crawl performance were examined in a 11-week training macrocycle in children 11.6 ¡À 1.2 years old. Fourteen girls and twenty-nine boys completed a maximum intensity 400-m test, at the beginning (¦³1) and at the end of four weeks of general preparation (¦³2), four weeks of specific preparation (¦³3), and three weeks of the competitive period (¦³4). Blood lactate (La), blood glucose (Glu) and heart rate were measured post effort. Stroke rate (SR), stroke length (SL) and stroke index (SI) were measured during the test. The 400-m time was decreased at T2, T3, and T4 compared to T1 by 4.2 ¡À 4.9, 7.5 ¡À 7.0, and 8.6 ¡À 7.3% ( p < 0.05) and at T3 and T4 compared to T2 by 3.1 ¡À 4.3 and 4.2 ¡À 4.6%, respectively ( p < 0.05). La was not different between tests ( p > 0.05) and Glu was decreased at T3 compared to other testing moments ( p < 0.05). SR, SL, and SI were higher at T3 and T4 compared to T1 ( p < 0.05). SL and SI were also increased at T4 compared to T2 ( p < 0.05). Performance changes from T1 to T2 were related to SL and SI changes (r = 0.45 and 0.83, p < 0.05), and subsequent changes between T2 to T3 were related to SR, SI, La, and Glu changes (r = 0.48, 0.68, 0.34, and 0.42, p < 0.05). Performance change from T3 to T4 was related to SL, SI, and La modifications (r = 0.34, 0.70, and 0.53, p < 0.05). Performance gains may be related to various biomechanical or physiological changes according to training macrocycle structure. View Full-Tex
%U https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4663/7/3/57