Edited by Doctor Andrea Bondanini
This article proposes some simple evaluation tests that can be performed by any swimmer, agonist or master.
The evaluation of the athlete is the investigation, through a series of tests, of the factors that determine physical and sporting performance.
As the diagnosis of a pathology requires the execution of some examinations and tests.
All this allows you to plan your training precisely, optimizing performance and avoiding the danger of overtraining as well as the decline in performance.
In other cases it can be used to structure a training model and / or to "adjust" workloads during the various phases of training.
The following tests will be done:
at the beginning of the year, to know the athlete and the starting situation;
throughout the season, to check the effects of training;
and at the end; they can also be done in the moments preceding an important competition, such as the Italian Championships or any other important event.
Other times the functional evaluation is done to motivate an athlete when he feels a little unsure of his potential (if the test goes well it loads up and performs better in the race).
Compared to other sports, in swimming it is more complicated to carry out tests, since the technique assumes such importance that an untrained person can travel many km in an "hour, making half the effort of a very trained person but with poor technique. .
Below are proposed simple evaluation tests that do not require special equipment, and can be carried out by any swimmer, who will be distinguished in agonist and master or amateur.
Cooper test adapted
Like the Cooper test on land, it is necessary to swim without interruption for 12 consecutive minutes in a pool of known size (25, 50, or 33 meters), in order to then be able to calculate the distance traveled.
It is important to swim at a constant speed and always in the same style and preferably freestyle / crawl; breaststroke and dolphin are not recommended.
Of course, in the cases of inexperienced athletes, if they start at a too high or too slow pace, the result will be maximally lower than the real capacity of the organism. A big limitation of this test, which therefore makes it unsuitable for assessing the state of form of athletes who regularly play sports, is that it does not take into account some important factors:
- adequate training can greatly vary the potential of the subject;
- the decrease in performance capacity due to age is greater in sedentary subjects than in trained subjects.
- the test is based exclusively on a magnitude term (meters covered in a predetermined time) making it very inaccurate. In fact, the evaluation of other parameters such as heart rate, respiratory rate, mMol of lactate, etc. is completely missing.
The advantage of this system to test the physical efficiency of a subject is due solely to the simplicity of implementation and its cost-effectiveness. And we need it to establish the level of a swimmer, novice or already experienced.
On the basis of age, sex and number of meters or tanks covered, it is possible to know, thanks to the appropriate table below, the category of "aquatic efficiency".
The tables relating to the degree of physical efficiency have been compiled on the basis of thousands of tests carried out on subjects initially without any form of training and then after having undergone a period of training.
Remember not to start the test if you are not in good physical condition and to stop immediately if you are in difficulty, due to high pulse, headache or excessive fatigue.
Degrees of efficiency
Age
10-12
14-19
20-29
30-39
40-49
50-59
over 60
Very Poor
(men)
<380 mt.
<500 mt.
<400 mt.
<350 mt.
<300 mt.
<250 mt.
<250 mt.
(women)
<280 mt.
<400 mt.
<300 mt.
<250 mt.
<200 mt.
<150 mt.
<150 mt.
Rare
(men)
380-460 mt.
500 - 599 mt.
400 - 499 mt.
350 - 499 m
300 - 399 m
250 - 349 m
250 - 299 mt.
(women)
280-360 mt.
400 - 499 mt.
300 - 399 m
250 - 349 m
200 - 299 m
150 - 249 m
150 - 199 mt.
Medium
(men)
460-550 mt.
600 - 699 mt.
500 - 599 mt.
450 - 549 mt.
400 - 449 mt.
350 - 449 m
300 - 399 m
(women)
380-460 mt.
500 - 599 mt.
400 - 499 mt.
350 - 449 m
300 - 399 m
250 - 349 m
200 - 299 m
Good
(men)
550-620 mt.
700 - 799 mt.
600 - 699 mt.
550 - 649 m
500 - 599 mt.
450 - 549 mt.
400 - 499 mt.
(women)
460-560 mt.
600 - 699 mt.
500 - 599 mt.
450 - 549 mt.
400 - 499 mt.
350 - 449 m
300 - 399 m
Excellent
(men)
> 620 mt.
> 800 mt.
> 700 mt.
> 650 mt.
> 600 mt.
> 550 mt.
> 500 mt.
(women)
> 520 mt.
> 700 mt.
> 600 mt.
> 550 mt.
> 500 mt.
> 450 mt.
> 400 mt.
Stroke rate measurement
This test can be done by anyone, from the highest level swimmer to the amateur, to the trainee of a swimming course.
It involves performing a 25m straight (or 50m, depending on the pool and the swimmer's level) once at the maximum speed possible.
The pool will be performed without starting dive and at maximum speed; an outside observer or the swimmer himself will have to count the number of strokes and take the time taken.
These two data are very important to establish the frequency and amplitude of the stroke.
Let's suppose that an amateur, who swims during free swimming, with a certain continuity wants to improve and quantify the improvement: this test is excellent; we always assume that he will perform the 25 m in 22 ", taking 20 strokes.
If he repeats the test after, for example, six months and takes 20 "" always doing 20 strokes, it means that he has improved in speed, but also in terms of swimming technique.
In fact, the secret to improving and going faster is being able to have the same stroke width by increasing the frequency. It is essential that the stroke is always wide.
If, on the other hand, he always takes 22 ", but with 18 strokes, there was still an improvement: it will be enough to increase the frequency, therefore the" speed "of the stroke to have a significant improvement in terms of time.
Obviously, it is easier to record and store the time / number of strokes ratio.
This test is useful for the athlete to understand the degree of his swimming technique in terms of efficiency.
Continues....
In the next article: The test of forecasting the time in the hour of swimming; the test of speed measurement; the test of recovery index. Continue "
Other articles on "Test and swim"
- Strength training in the water
- Test and swim: speed, prediction test, recovery rate