Elite Swimmers' Training Patterns in the 25 Weeks Prior to Their Season's Best Performances: Insights Into Periodization From a 20-Years Cohort

Abstract

Background: This study investigated the periodization of elite swimmers' training over the 25 weeks preceding the major competition of the season.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective observational study of elite male (n = 60) and female (n = 67) swimmers (46 sprint, 81 middle-distance) over 20 competitive seasons (1992-2012). The following variables were monitored: training corresponding to blood lactate <2 mmol⋅L^-1, 2 to ≤4 mmol⋅L^-1, >4-6 mmol⋅L^-1, >6 mmol⋅L^-1, and maximal swimming speed; general conditioning and maximal strength training hours; total training load (TTL); and the mean normalized volumes for both in-water and dryland workouts. Latent class mixed modeling was used to identify various TTL pattern groups. The associations between pattern groups and sex, age, competition event, Olympic quadrennial year, training contents, and relative performance were quantified.

Results: For the entire cohort, ∼86-90% of the training was swum at an intensity of [La]_b ≤ 4 mmol⋅L^-1. This training volume was divided into 40-44% at <2 mmol⋅L^-1 and 44-46% at 2 to ≤4 mmol⋅L^-1, leaving 6-9.5% at >4-6 mmol⋅L^-1, and 3.5-4.5% at >6 mmol⋅L^-1. Three sprint TTL patterns were identified: a pattern with two long ∼14-15-week macrocycles, one with two ∼12-13 week macrocycles each composed of a balanced training load, and one with a single stable flat macrocycle. The long pattern elicited the fastest performances and was most prevalent in Olympic quadrennials (i.e., 4 seasons preceding the 2004, 2008, and 2012 Olympic Games). This pattern exhibited moderate week-to-week TTL variability (6 ± 3%), progressive training load increases between macrocycles, and more training at ≤4 mmol⋅L^-1 and >6 mmol⋅L^-1. This fastest sprint pattern showed a waveform in the second macrocycle consisting of two progressive load peaks 10-11 and 4-6 weeks before competition. The stable flat pattern was the slowest and showed low TTL variability (4 ± 3%), training load decreases between macrocycles (P < 0.01), and more training at 4-6 mmol⋅L^-1 (P < 0.01).

Conclusion: Progressive increases in training load, macrocycles lasting about 14-15 weeks, and substantial volume of training at intensities ≤4 mmol⋅L^-1 and >6 mmol⋅L^-1, were associated with peak performance in elite swimmers.

Keywords: competitive performance; latent class mixed models; progressivity; swimming; training distribution.

FIGURE 1

(Left axis): weighted mean subject-specific predictions of TTL in % (solid circles), the observed class-specific mean evolutions weighted by the class-membership probabilities (solid lines) and their 95% confidence limits (dashed lines) by week preceding performance. Mean (SD) difference in TTL between two consecutive weeks in % per group and mean (SD) probability of belonging to the assigned group (top legend). (Right axis): observed mean relative performances per group in % and standard deviations. Sprint swimmers (46 swimmers, 105 swimmer-seasons).

FIGURE 2

Moderate-to-heavy (1st column), Severe- (2nd column), Extreme- (3rd column) intensity training, General conditioning (4th column), and Strength training (5th column) means per swimmer-season distributions by group in sprint swimmers using box plots (solid circles indicate the mean values). Mean per swimmer-season values were calculated over the 25-week period (1st row), the 1st half of this period (2nd row) or the 2nd half of this period (3rd row). Proportion mean per swimmer-season values were calculated over the 25-week period (4th row). P-values determine differences in training intensities among groups (1st row), within each 1st-half and 2nd-half pair of mean measurements (3rd row), in in-water and dryland variables among groups (4th row).

FIGURE 3

In-water and dryland intensity distribution for the fastest group. (A) Shows the total training load with the peak load in week 22 in the first macrocycle and in week 6 in the second macrocycle before the best performance of the season. (B) Shows the training intensity distribution, with moderate-to-heavy intensity (MHI, ≤4 mmol⋅L^-1) in green, severe intensity (SI, above 4 up to 6 mmol⋅L^-1) in orange, and extreme intensity (EI, >6 mmol⋅L^-1) in red. Note the intensification of training in weeks 3, 4, and 5 before the best performance of the season. (C) Shows the distribution of dryland training, general conditioning in orange, and total strength training in red. Note the largest proportion of dryland training in weeks 5, 6, and 7 before the best performance of the season.

FIGURE 4

(Left axes): weighted mean subject-specific predictions of TTL in % (solid circles), the observed class-specific mean evolutions weighted by the class-membership probabilities (solid lines) and their 95% confidence limits (dashed lines) by week preceding performance. Mean (SD) difference in TTL between 2 consecutive weeks in % per group and mean (SD) probability of belonging to the assigned group (top legend). (Right axes): observed mean relative performances per group in % and standard deviations. Mid-distance swimmers (81 swimmers, 184 swimmer-seasons).

FIGURE 5

Moderate-to-heavy (1st column), Severe- (2nd column), Extreme- (3rd column) intensity training, General conditioning (4th column) and Strength training (5th column) means per swimmer-season distributions by group in mid-distance swimmers using box plots (solid circles indicate the mean values). Mean per swimmer-season values were calculated over the 25-week period (1st row), the 1st half of this period (2nd row) or the 2nd half of this period (3rd row). Proportion mean per swimmer-season values were calculated over the 25-week period (4th row). P-values determine differences in training intensities among groups (1st row), within each 1st-half and 2nd-half pair of mean measurements (3rd row), in in-water and dryland variables among groups (4th row).