Applied Physiology of swimming

Question 1

what three things can we learn from mammals which will be beneficial for improved swimming performance

Answer 1

taking quick breaths

hold breaths for long time

body composition, more Hb and myoglobin

Question 2

what are the two components of the dive reflex and what is the purpose of these

Answer 2

bradycardia

vasoconstriction of the extremities
concentrates blood to where it is needed most and maintains BP

Question 3

explain the signaling pathway which occurs when diving into cold water

Answer 3

sensed by trigeminal nerve via sensors around the nose and mouth
signal is then sent via the vagus nerve to the diaphragm to not contract

Question 4

explain how a colder pool temperature can be beneficial

Answer 4

heat loss is 5x greater in water

sweating is ineffective when in water

so the heat loss to water can compensate as a thermoregulatory mechanism

Question 5

How can cold water be a problem if not exercising hard or if you’re a child

Answer 5

too much heat loss so will get cold

children have a greater SA:vol so dissipate heat more quickly,
likely to get colder

Question 6

explain why swimmers are at a higher risk of dehydration

Answer 6

sweating mechanism isn’t effective so they sweat more

also don’t feel hot because of the water, and feeling hot is a trigger for thirst

loss of regulation of the thirst reflex

Question 7

how does viscosity change as water temperature increase

Answer 7

as the temperature of the water increases the viscosity decreases

Question 8

give pros and cons of water with increased viscosity

Answer 8

pro: easier for swimmer to pull on
con: harder for the body of the swimmer to move through

Question 9

give pros and cons of water with decreased viscosity

Answer 9

pro: easier to move through

cons: harder to pull on
risk of developing hyperthermia

Question 10

explain why elite swimmers may swim with gaps between their fingers

Answer 10

if water viscosity is high enough, water won’t flow through the small gaps between fingers

therefore can hold hand with these gaps to increase the overall surface area of the hand

Question 11

what three factors are the main limit to swimming performance

Answer 11

skeletal muscle

breathing

motor co-ordination and skill

Question 12

buoyancy is a relationship between which two factors and how does buoyancy relate to a person’s body density

Answer 12

body weight and weight of the water which is displaced

more dense = body weight>weight of displaced fluid = not buoyant

Question 13

in terms of buoyancy, what are the pros and cons of fat and muscle

Answer 13

fat: increase buoyancy but is inery
muscle: decreased buoyancy but can generate propulsive force

Question 14

how can a swimmer alter their lung volumes at different points of the race to manipulate how buoyant they are

Answer 14

exhale as much as possible at start of race to decrease buoyancy for dive

maintain a slightly higher residual volume during the race to increase buoyancy

Question 15

can the diaphragm and inspiratory muscles be trained in swimmers

Answer 15

yes in swimmers not currently swimming

no in those who are currently swimming

Question 16

what is a possible reason as to why the inspiratory muscles of elite swimmers are so well trained

Answer 16

tall elite athletes can breath up to 300l/min

when swimming have very limited time to actually achieve this

so have to breath very hard in order to get as close as possible to the 300l

Question 17

what is the greatest contributor to drag in elite swimmers

Answer 17

frontal area

Question 18

what is the relationship between the speed of an object and then drag force

what is the implication of this in terms of the type of training swimmers do

Answer 18

double speed = 4x drag

so do a mix of strength and speed training

bc would need to increase power by 8x in order to double speed
so also important to work on reducing the drag via technique etc

Question 19

what are the old and the new theories of energy contribution to sprint races

Answer 19

old theory was that they were mostly anaerobic (98% for 50m and 90% for 100m)

newer theory is that there is a much greater aerobic contribution (70% anaerobic for 50m and 54% for 100m)

Question 20

what reasons are there for swimmers training almost every day of the year

Answer 20

to minimise drag by small changes in technique
optamise muscle mass to energy expenditure ratio
improve stroke technique

Question 21

what is Tau

Answer 21

the ability of the body to switch on aerobic metabolism

faster you can do this, the less O2 deficit you will have