A Novel Method to Characterize the Pacing Profile of Elite Male 1500-m Freestyle Swimmers

• Published in: International journal of sports physiology and performance 2021-06, Vol.16 (6), p.818-824
• Main Authors: McGibbon, Katie E, Pyne, David B, Heidenreich, Laine E, Pla, Robin
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Swimming
• ISSN: 1555-0265; 1555-0273
• DOI: 10.1123/ijspp.2020-0375

Pacing, or the distribution of energy expenditure, is particularly important in swimming; however, there is limited research examining pacing profiles in long-distance freestyle events. This study aimed to characterize the pacing profiles of elite male 1500-m freestyle swimmers using a novel method to provide a detailed analysis of different race segments. The race data for 327 male 1500-m freestyle long-course races between 2010 and 2019 were analyzed retrospectively. The raw 50-m split times for each lap were converted to a percentage of overall race time. The races were classified as a fast-, average-, or slow-start strategy (laps 1-2); as an even, negative, or positive pacing strategy (laps 3-28); and as a fast-, average-, or slow-finish strategy (laps 29-30) to give an overall pacing profile. Slow- and average-start strategies were associated with faster overall 1500-m times than a fast-start strategy (mean = -21.2 s; 90% confidence interval, -11.4 to -32.3 s, P = .00). An even pacing strategy in laps 3 to 28 yielded faster overall 1500-m times than a positive pacing strategy (-8.4 s, -3.9 to -13.0 s, P = .00). The overall 1500-m times did not differ substantially across the finish strategies (P = .99). The start strategy differed across age groups and nationalities, where younger swimmers and swimmers from Australia and Great Britain typically spent a lower percentage of race time in laps 1 to 2 (faster start strategy; -0.10%, -0.01% to -0.23%, P ≤ .02). Adopting a relatively slower start strategy helps conserve energy for the latter stages of a 1500-m freestyle race.