Hey, I'm a 16 year old junior in high school, and well, I'd appreciate it if I could get some help with my swimming. I started swimming last year and can do every single stroke legally (minus breaststroke...oddly enough...) but my favorite stroke is freestyle. I have swam a 100 free starting off the wall in 1:00 and I'm also wondering what the most efficient way to swim it is, because when I made that time (my personal best, sadly) I sprinted the whole time. In addition, because this start was off the wall, I did not get to start off the block, I am 5'8" and weigh 122 and I'd just like any tips you can throw my way! Thanks in advance, and I also swim the 500 free on occasion so I would also appreciate any help on this. (Last year I swam the 200 and 500 free, this year I am hoping to swim the 100 free and 500 free)
If you want to read a sensational book on all aspects of this, I highly recommend Fitness and Health by Brian Sharkey (Human Kinetics.) It's come out in multiple editions, each time reflecting the latest thinking from the exercise physiology community. He does a sensational job of explaining all this highly complicated stuff in language that's easy to understand.
I think each of us probably has a genetic range that limits how good we can get in every different physiological system, and this is probably true in energy metabolism as well. That said, training can optimize our performance by bringing us up to the top of our potential.
I agree that the ATP, anaerobic, and aerobic systems do not function discretely or in a step-by-step linear sequence but rather interweave, depending on the physical challenge, with one or another coming to the forefront. For instance, during a marathon, it's clear that most of the energy burned is from the aerobic system. But a sprint to the finish line almost certainly would tap the anaerobic system (assuming there's any carb fuel left at this point) and possible the ATP system as well.
All of this is really complicated when it comes to actual race performance by a myriad of other physiological complexities that are difficult to quantify. For instance, long distance runners often used to avoid strength training under the assumption that this might cause them to bulk up with hypertrophied (or enlarged) fast twitch muscle fibers they don't particularly use in their races. However, this idea, which seems intuitively sound, doesn't appear to hold up in reality.
If you want, send me your email and I will send you an article I did on how strength training can help endurance performance.
Anyhow, the bottom line here is that if you want to swim your best, train predominantly for the events you hope to excel at--but don't ignore the other swims, too. Distance swimmers can benefit from sprint training and vice versa. I have also read that all of us, even if we only race freestyle, can benefit from IM training (to balance out muscles, etc.), provided this doesn't cause injuries.
If you want to read a sensational book on all aspects of this, I highly recommend Fitness and Health by Brian Sharkey (Human Kinetics.) It's come out in multiple editions, each time reflecting the latest thinking from the exercise physiology community. He does a sensational job of explaining all this highly complicated stuff in language that's easy to understand.
I think each of us probably has a genetic range that limits how good we can get in every different physiological system, and this is probably true in energy metabolism as well. That said, training can optimize our performance by bringing us up to the top of our potential.
I agree that the ATP, anaerobic, and aerobic systems do not function discretely or in a step-by-step linear sequence but rather interweave, depending on the physical challenge, with one or another coming to the forefront. For instance, during a marathon, it's clear that most of the energy burned is from the aerobic system. But a sprint to the finish line almost certainly would tap the anaerobic system (assuming there's any carb fuel left at this point) and possible the ATP system as well.
All of this is really complicated when it comes to actual race performance by a myriad of other physiological complexities that are difficult to quantify. For instance, long distance runners often used to avoid strength training under the assumption that this might cause them to bulk up with hypertrophied (or enlarged) fast twitch muscle fibers they don't particularly use in their races. However, this idea, which seems intuitively sound, doesn't appear to hold up in reality.
If you want, send me your email and I will send you an article I did on how strength training can help endurance performance.
Anyhow, the bottom line here is that if you want to swim your best, train predominantly for the events you hope to excel at--but don't ignore the other swims, too. Distance swimmers can benefit from sprint training and vice versa. I have also read that all of us, even if we only race freestyle, can benefit from IM training (to balance out muscles, etc.), provided this doesn't cause injuries.
