MEASURING ENERGY EXPENDITURE IN SWIMMING TO ASSESS GROSSMECHANICAL EFFICIENCY

When swimming at submaximal speeds the rate of energy expenditure can be estimated from respiratory analysis. Over the past decades many methods for stationary non-aqueous evaluation of respiratory and ventilatory parameters in swimmers has emerged. Recently there have been advances in portable telemetric systems (Cosmed K4 b2, Italy) that can measure these variables from rest to maximal activity while swimming without the need to stop the exercise. Preliminary data show that the last modified snorkel system can be considered as a valid device for collecting expired gas for BxB analysis, comparable to the standard facemask, with the advantage of being suitable for measurements during swimming.

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