Validity of the power-time to exhaustion model in the tethered-crawl stroke, through relationships to the distance and velocity-time to exhaustion models

Abstract

Twenty four swimmers with 16,5±2,7 years and 67,7±13,5kg were subjected to drag force (Fr) estimated from: Fr=A x v2. Fr at maximal crawl velocity was divided to make up the four stages of test, with exhaustion times between 3-20min. Critical velocity (vcrit) was calculated from distance between 200-1500m. Power delivered from tethered-crawl (PTethCrit),
velocity and distance were fitted to time to exhaustion by linear and hyperbolic functions. The linear (81,9w) and non linear (71,1w) PTethCrit were not different (D 0,05) from the values of linear (108,2w) and non linear (96,3w) Pcrit estimates taken from linear (1,2m/s) and non linear
(1,14m/s) vcrit through swimming performance equations. We come to the conclusion that PTethCrit was related to vcrit, and is a reliable index of aerobic capacity.