The VO2 slow component in swimming

All studies on the oxygen uptake ((V) over dot O-2) slow component have bee n carried out for the sporting disciplines of cycling or running, but never for swimming. Considering that front crawl swimming is a sport discipline that is fundamentally different from both running and cycling, the aim of t his study was to verify whether this slow component also appears in swimmin g. Six elite pentathletes were tested in a swimming flume while front crawl swimming to exhaustion. Swimming velocity for the slow component test was determined as upsilon 50%Delta = CV + [(upsilon (V) over dot O-2peak - CV) /2], where CV is the critical velocity and upsilon (V) over dot O-2peak the lowest velocity at which peak (V) over dot O-2 occurred. To set the subjec t's CV, expressed as the slope of a straight line that describes the correl ation between swimming distance and time, the record times over three swimm ing distances were recorded in a 50 m swimming pool. The upsilon (V) over d ot O-2peak was measured by means of an incremental test in the swimming flu me. Gas exchange was measured by means of a telemetric metabolimeter (K4 RQ , Cosmed, Italy) that was connected to a snorkel. The slow component was fo und in all subjects, with a mean (SD) value of 239 (194) mlO(2) . min(-1) T herefore, although front crawl swimming is fundamentally different from bot h running and cycling, it appears that it also incurs a (V) over dot O-2 sl ow component. The origin of this phenomenon, however, is even more uncertai n than for the other sport disciplines.