Smith David J, Norris Stephen R, Hogg John M
Human Performance Laboratory, Faculty of Kinesiology, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
Sports Med. 2002;32(9):539-54. doi: 10.2165/00007256-200232090-00001.
The purpose of this article is to provide a critical commentary of the physiological and psychological tools used in the evaluation of swimmers. The first-level evaluation should be the competitive performance itself, since it is at this juncture that all elements interplay and provide the 'highest form' of assessment. Competition video analysis of major swimming events has progressed to the point where it has become an indispensable tool for coaches, athletes, sport scientists, equipment manufacturers, and even the media. The breakdown of each swimming performance at the individual level to its constituent parts allows for comparison with the predicted or sought after execution, as well as allowing for comparison with identified world competition levels. The use of other 'on-going' monitoring protocols to evaluate training efficacy typically involves criterion 'effort' swims and specific training sets where certain aspects are scrutinised in depth. Physiological parameters that are often examined alongside swimming speed and technical aspects include oxygen uptake, heart rate, blood lactate concentration, blood lactate accumulation and clearance rates. Simple and more complex procedures are available for in-training examination of technical issues. Strength and power may be quantified via several modalities although, typically, tethered swimming and dry-land isokinetic devices are used. The availability of a 'swimming flume' does afford coaches and sport scientists a higher degree of flexibility in the type of monitoring and evaluation that can be undertaken. There is convincing evidence that athletes can be distinguished on the basis of their psychological skills and emotional competencies and that these differences become further accentuated as the athlete improves. No matter what test format is used (physiological, biomechanical or psychological), similar criteria of validity must be ensured so that the test provides useful and associative information concerning current or future performance. The practical worth of any proposed testing or monitoring protocol should be carefully evaluated. In addition, the developmental stage of the athlete(s) in question should be reflected in the testing/monitoring programme. Finally, increasing technological innovations will bring to the pool deck or dry-land training area simple, fast and advanced diagnostic tools, particularly in the areas of blood-borne markers of training response and neuromuscular excitability.
本文旨在对游泳运动员评估中使用的生理和心理工具进行批判性评论。一级评估应该是竞技表现本身，因为正是在这个阶段，所有要素相互作用并提供“最高形式”的评估。对重大游泳赛事的比赛视频分析已经发展到这样一个程度，它已成为教练、运动员、体育科学家、设备制造商甚至媒体不可或缺的工具。将每个游泳表现分解到个人层面的各个组成部分，既可以与预测的或追求的执行情况进行比较，也可以与确定的世界比赛水平进行比较。使用其他“持续”监测方案来评估训练效果通常涉及标准“强度”游泳和特定训练组，其中某些方面会被深入审查。通常与游泳速度和技术方面一起检查的生理参数包括摄氧量、心率、血乳酸浓度、血乳酸积累和清除率。有简单和更复杂的程序可用于在训练中检查技术问题。力量和功率可以通过多种方式进行量化，不过通常使用系留游泳和陆地等速装置。“游泳水槽”的可用性确实为教练和体育科学家在可进行的监测和评估类型方面提供了更高的灵活性。有令人信服的证据表明，运动员可以根据他们的心理技能和情绪能力来区分，而且随着运动员水平的提高，这些差异会更加明显。无论使用何种测试形式（生理、生物力学或心理），都必须确保类似的有效性标准，以便测试能够提供有关当前或未来表现的有用且相关的信息。任何提议的测试或监测方案的实际价值都应仔细评估。此外，相关运动员的发育阶段应在测试/监测计划中得到体现。最后，不断增加的技术创新将为泳池边或陆地训练区域带来简单、快速和先进的诊断工具，特别是在训练反应的血源性标志物和神经肌肉兴奋性方面。
