Background: In swimming, training intensity is a fundamental component for the organization, distribution, and monitoring of training load throughout the training process. From a scientific perspective, its characterization stems from the need to induce physiological adaptations (metabolic and neuromuscular), which generally require 4 to 12 weeks to produce meaningful training-related changes. Aim: To characterize the distribution of swimming training session intensity during the pre-competitive period, based on the perception of coaches from the South and Southeast regions of Brazil. Methods: This cross-sectional observational descriptive study involved 29 male swimming coaches competing at the national level from the South and Southeast regions of Brazil. These regions were included because coaches from other regions did not respond to the survey invitation. Data were collected through a structured self-administered questionnaire (Google Forms) containing open and closed ended questions regarding training organization during a typical 15-week period preceding the main competition of the season. This time frame was established based on previous scientific literature employing similar observation windows. Coaches retrospectively characterized the intensity of their own training sessions throughout the 15-week pre-competitive period. Therefore, the study did not aim to examine the effects of these training practices on athletes performance in the subsequent competition. Both in-water physical conditioning sessions and land-based strength training sessions were considered. The study was approved by the Research Ethics Committee with Human Beings of the Federal University of Pelotas (Protocol. 82402924.1.0000.5313). Coaches quantified session intensity using the 10-point Rating of Perceived Exertion (RPE) scale, which was already part of their regular coaching practice. Weekly frequencies of low-, moderate-, and high-intensity sessions were compared using analysis of variance (ANOVA), followed by Tukey`s post-hoc test. Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05. Results: A significant difference was identified among session frequencies (F = 9.85; p < 0.001). Coaches reported 2 ± 1 low-intensity sessions per week (RPE * 4 AU), 3 ± 1 moderate-intensity sessions (RPE 5-6 AU), and 3 ± 1 high-intensity sessions (RPE * 7 AU). The frequency of low-intensity sessions was significantly lower than that of both moderate- and high-intensity sessions (p < 0.005). Conclusions: There is a predominance of moderate and high-intensity sessions during the pre-competitive period, which may be related to the distribution of training load during this specific phase of training.
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