Maximal Oxygen Uptake during Swimming of Young Competitive Swimmers 9 to 17 Years of Age.

Abstract

Abstract Few studies of young competitive swimmers have measured the swimmer in the water, but many have utilized the treadmill or bicycle ergometer on land. The maximum oxygen uptake of 31 (17 male and 14 female) competitive swimmers, 9 to 17 years of age, was determined during an intermittent tethered swimming test which consisted of a series of 3-minute workloads followed by 3-minute rest intervals. Each new workload was increased by multiples of 1.1 kg, and the work was continued to voluntary exhaustion. The subjects were members of a competitive swim club that took part in vigorous swim training throughout the year. Testing was conducted at the peak of the competitive out-door season. Over a period of a year, the daily training distance of these swimmers averaged approximately 7,000 yards, or almost four times that reported by others. The mean maximum oxygen uptake was 48.8 ml·kg−1·min−1 for the females and 55.8 ml·kg−1·min−1 for the males. Although the values for the younger swimmers were comparable...