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Examining the relationship between arterial stiffness and swim-training volume in elite aquatic athletes

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European Journal of Applied Physiology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

Factors such as prone body position, hydrostatic pressure, and intermittent breath-holding subject aquatic athletes to unique physical and environmental stressors during swimming exercise. The relationship between exposure to aquatic exercise and both arterial stiffness and wave reflection properties is not well-understood. This study assessed central artery stiffness and wave reflection properties in elite pool-swimmers (SW), long-distance open-water swimmers (OW), and water polo players (WP) to examine the relationship between these variables and aquatic exercise.

Methods

Athletes competing in SW, OW and WP events at the FINA World Championships were recruited. Carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity, and pulse wave analysis were used to quantify arterial stiffness, and central wave reflection properties.

Results

Athletes undertook differing amounts of weekly swimming distance in training according to their discipline (SW: 40.2 ± 21.1 km, OW: 59.7 ± 28.4 km, WP: 11.4 ± 6.3 km; all p < 0.05). Pulse wave velocity (Males [SW: 6.0 ± 0.6 m/s, OW: 6.5 ± 0.8 m/s, WP: 6.7 ± 0.9 m/s], Females [SW: 5.4 ± 0.6 m/s, OW: 5.3 ± 0.5 m/s, WP: 5.2 ± 0.8 m/s; p = 0.4]) was similar across disciplines for females but was greater in male WP compared to male SW (p = 0.005). Augmentation index (Males [SW: − 3.4 ± 11%, OW: − 9.6 ± 6.4%, WP: 1.7 ± 10.9%], Females [SW: 3.5 ± 13.5%, OW: − 13.2 ± 10.7%, WP: − 2.8 ± 10.7%]) was lower in male OW compared to WP (p = 0.03), and higher in female SW compared to OW (p = 0.002). Augmentation index normalized to a heart rate of 75 bpm was inversely related to weekly swim distance in training (r = − 0.27, p = 0.004).

Conclusions

This study provides evidence that the central vasculature of elite aquatic athletes differs by discipline, and this is associated with training load.

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Abbreviations

ANCOVA:

Analysis of covariance

aDBP:

Aortic diastolic blood pressure

aSBP:

Aortic systolic blood pressure

AIx:

Augmentation index

AIx75:

Augmentation index normalized to a heart rate of 75 beats/min

DBP:

Diastolic blood pressure

DPTI:

Diastolic pressure time integral

FINA:

Fédération Internationale de Natation

OW:

Long-distance open-water swimmers

MAP:

Mean arterial pressure

SW:

Pool-swimmers

PWA:

Pulse wave analysis

PWV:

Pulse wave velocity

RPE:

Rating of perceived exertion

SEVR:

Subendocardial viability ratio

SBP:

Systolic blood pressure

SPTI:

Systolic pressure time integral

WP:

Water polo players

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank FINA, and the FINA Sports Medicine Committee with special thanks to Dr. Jim Miller and the FINA cardiology sub-committee for supporting this research. We would also like to thank the FINA World Championship event volunteers for making completion of this research possible.

Funding

The present study was funded by a Discovery Grant from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (JFB 03974), the Canadian Foundation for Innovation (JFB 35460), and the Ontario Ministry of Research, Innovation, and Science (JFB 460597).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Human Health and Nutritional Sciences, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road E, Guelph, ON, N1G2W1, Canada

    Christian P. Cheung, Alexandra M. Coates, Trevor J. King & Jamie F. Burr

  2. Department of Kinesiology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, USA

    Katharine D. Currie

  3. Fédération Internationale de Natation, Lausanne, Switzerland

    Margo L. Mountjoy

Authors
  1. Christian P. Cheung
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  2. Alexandra M. Coates
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  3. Katharine D. Currie
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  4. Trevor J. King
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  5. Margo L. Mountjoy
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  6. Jamie F. Burr
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Contributions

CPC, AMC, KDC, TJK, and JFB conceived and designed research. CPC, AMC, KDC, TJK, and JFB participated in data collection. CC performed data analysis and drafted the initial version of the manuscript. All authors reviewed and approved the final manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jamie F. Burr.

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Conflict of interest

Margo Mountjoy is a FINA Bureau Liaison to the FINA Sports Medicine Committee.

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Communicated by Jean-René Lacour.

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Cheung, C.P., Coates, A.M., Currie, K.D. et al. Examining the relationship between arterial stiffness and swim-training volume in elite aquatic athletes. Eur J Appl Physiol 121, 2635–2645 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-021-04736-y

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