Cardiorespiratory Responses During Swimming, Running and Bicycling in Swimmers

Oxygen uptake and cardiorespiratory parameters were measured during submaximal and maximal work in flume swimming, bicycling and treadmill running, in order to compare physiological responses of swimmers to those three types of exercise. Subjects were divided into three groups according to the level of swimming training, i, e., 5 less trained water polo players (group A), 5 male well trained college swimmers (group B) and 14 male elite swimmers (group C) .V2max during swimming in group A (3.11 1/min) was 5% lower than during bicy cling, while those in group B (3.63 1/min) and C (4.12 1/min) were 9% and 11% higher, respectively. Comparing with running, Vo2max during swimming was 19% lower in group A, and was about the same in group B.VE and VE/ Vo2 were lower during submaximal and maximal swimming compared with bicyling and running, in all groups except the maximal work of group C. Lower VE during swimming resulted from lower f as well as lower VT. The difference in VA between during swimming and during running, bicycling was small compared with that in VE.Q during swimming increased almost linearly with Vo2 in all groups. At a given Vo2submax, Q was about the same in three types of exercise. Q during maximal swimming in group A (19.7 1/min) and B (21.3 1/min) were similar compared with bicycling, but were 16% and 11% lower compared with running, respectively. Qmax during swimming in group C (23.8 1/min) was 5% higher compared with bicycling.HR increased almost linealy with Vo2 in all exercise. At a given Vo2submax, HR was 4-5 beats/min less during running than during bicycling, and was 10-20 beats/min less during swimming than during those two types of exercise. HRmax was lower during swimming compared with bicycling or running in all groups. A similar Q at submaximal work during three types of exercise resulted from higher SV and lower HR in swimming.