Characterizing the physiological and physical correlates to performance in highly trained artistic swimmers

Abstract

Artistic swimming (AS) is a unique sport which is characterized by prolonged and repeated bouts of apnea, often while performing vigorous movements. AS made its Olympic debut in 1984 and has changed considerably since then. The demands, duration, and number of teammates competing at one time have all changed over the years. In addition to these changes male athletes have been permitted to compete internationally in mixed doubles since 2015 [1], however this thesis will focus solely on the physiological responses of female AS athletes. Despite AS making its Olympic debut 35 years ago it is a sport poorly represented by the literature. To date no two studies have utilized the same methodology, which makes comparisons between studies challenging. This leaves limited research available to examine the physiological responses present during an AS routine.