POST – COMPETITION BLOOD LACTATE CONCENTRATION IN SWIMMERS

Abstract

The aim of this study was to seek a possible significant correlation between post-competition blood lactate concentrations (BLc) and the times achieved in swimming events. The research was done among 71 swimmers (44 men and 27 women) of the Bulgarian national swimming team. The average age of the participants was 17.48 ± 2.50 years (18.02 ± 2.62 for men and 16.59 ± 2.00 for women). Blood lactate concentrations were measured 3 to 6 min after the finals of all individual swimming events in official competitions and the time ranged between 653 and 898 FINA points. The total number of measurements was 280 (175 samples from men and 105 from women) collected during a 3-year period (2016 -2018). The results indicated that the highest mean values of BLc were obtained after sprint distances: men’s 100m freestyle (16.91 ± 4.32 mmol/L) and women’s 100 m butterfly (16.89 ± 2.35 mmol/L). The lowest mean values were measured after distance swimming of 1500 m freestyle: 7.14±3.34 mmol/L for the man and 5.10 mmol/L for the women. Statistically significant coefficients of correlation between swimming times and BLc were observed in men’s swimming events of 100 m butterfly (r = -0.484); 100 m backstroke (r = -0.721); 100 m freestyle (r = -0.854); 50 m freestyle (r = -0.891) and women’s swimming event of 50 m freestyle (r = -0.688). In conclusion, there is no statistically significant difference in the post-competitive BLc levels depending on gender; significant differences in mean values of BLc between breaststroke and all other strokes; in sprint swimming events (especially in 100 m freestyle) statistically significant correlations between BLc and swimming times were observed.

Keywords

• swimming
• blood lactate concentration