Acute Resistance Exercise: Physiological and Biomechanical Alterations During a Subsequent Swim Training Session

PURPOSE To examine the acute effect of dry-land strength training on physiological and biomechanical parameters in a subsequent swim-training session. METHODS Twelve male swimmers (age 19.0 ± 2.2 y, peak oxygen uptake [VO2peak] 65.5 ± 11.4 mL∙kg-1∙min-1) performed a 5x200-m test with progressively increasing intensity. Blood lactate concentration (BL) was measured after each 200-m bout, and the speed corresponding to 4 mmol∙L-1 (V4) was calculated. In the experimental (EXP) and control (CON) conditions, swimmers participated in a swim-training session consisting of 1000-m warm-up, a bout of 10-s tethered swimming sprint, and 5x400-m at V4. In EXP, swimmers completed a dry-land strength-training session (load: 85% of 1-repetition maximum) 15 min before the swimming session. In CON, swimmers performed the swimming session only. VO2, BL, arm-stroke rate (SR), arm-stroke length (SL), and arm-stroke efficiency (ηF) were measured during the 5x400-m. RESULTS Force in the 10-s sprint was no different between conditions (P = .61), but fatigue index was higher in the EXP condition (P = .03). BL was higher in EXP and showed large effect size at the 5th 400-m repetition compared with CON (6.4 ± 2.7 vs 4.6 ± 2.8 mmol∙L-1, d = 0.63). During the 5x400-m, ηF remained unchanged, SL was decreased from the 3rd repetition onward (P = .01), and SR showed a medium increment in EXP (d = 0.23). CONCLUSIONS Strength training completed 15 min before a swim-training session caused moderate changes in biomechanical parameters and increased BL concentration during swimming. Despite these changes, swimmers were able to maintain force and submaximal speed during the endurance-training session.