OXYGEN CONSUMPTION IN SHORT-, MIDDLE- AND LONG-DISTANCE YOUNG SWIMMERS

ABSTRACT The aim of the study was to compare the maximal oxygen consumption of highly trained adolescent swimmers competing in short, middle, and long distances, taking into account their skeletal muscle mass and body fat mass. These data may be useful for better assessing the aerobic capacity of young swimmers and better planning their training loads. A total of 92 swimmers (31 girls and 61 boys) aged 15–17 years who were part of the Bulgarian Youth National Swim-ming Team were included in the study. The participants were divided into groups according to the distance of their main event: short (50 and 100 m), middle (200 and 400 m), and long (800 and 1500 m) distances. Height, weight, muscle mass, and body fat mass of swimmers were measured to assess their physical development and body composition. Maximal aerobic test was performed on a cycle ergometer. There was only one statistically significant difference between female groups – in maximal oxygen consumption per body weight between short- and middle-distance female swimmers. There was a difference in muscle mass in percentages between short- and long-distance male swimmers. Differences between the means of three variables from the maxi-mal aerobic capacity test were revealed: between maximal workload per body weight of short-distance swimmers and middle-distance swimmers, between maximal oxygen consumption per body weight of short-distance swimmers and middle- and long-distance swimmers, and between maximal oxygen consumption per muscle mass of short-distance swimmers and middle- and long-distance swimmers. In summary, short-distance swimmers had lower maximal oxygen consumption than middle- and long-distance swimmers. The results suggest that maximal oxygen consumption per muscle mass can be used to assess the aerobic capacity of swimmers. The differences in this variable were more pronounced compared to the differences in maximal oxygen consumption per body weight, and in boys, they were even more statistically significant.