Free-swimming tests for the aerobic and anaerobic quality assessment: a scoping review of the last ten years studies

INTRODUCTION: Swimming kinematics cannot be expressed other than in free swimming, consequently, to estimate the swimmers physiological and technical qualities, field tests should be the most appropriate. The aim of the study is to provide evidence-based information on the most used and most related to performance free swimming tests for the aerobic and anaerobic swimmer's quality assessment. EVIDENCE ACQUISITION: A comprehensive analysis of original article referred to aerobic and anaerobic testing in free-swimming, published in English in the last ten years, was conducted in journals indexed in Scopus and/or PubMed. EVIDENCE SYNTHESIS: The 15 articles included in the study dealt with the backward extrapolation technique for gas exchanges measurements, the use of inertial sensors for anaerobic capacities measurements, the estimation of the anaerobic thresholds through blood lactate and chronographs measurements. CONCLUSIONS: The backward extrapolation technique is a valid and accurate procedure for assessing swimmers' cardiorespiratory fitness but requires precise procedure with bulky and costly equipment. The use of inertial sensors for the assessment of the swimmers' anaerobic capacities could be a valid method for monitoring the athletes during the whole season. The estimation of the anaerobic thresholds through blood lactate measurements with short or single step protocols are more suitable for competitive swimmers. The estimation of the anaerobic thresholds by chronographs measurements are responsive enough to identify changes in performance. Also, since they do not rely on specialized technology and can be held in any pool environment, they seem to be the most practical for daily use.