Dryland resistance session before aerobic endurance swimming: acute effects on energy expenditure in competitive swimmers
BACKGROUND: Incorporating dryland resistance session before swimming training routines is a common practice, but its acute effects on subsequent swimming energetics remain poorly understood. We investigated the effect of prior dryland resistance training session on energy expenditure during swimming at a swimming speed corresponding to 4 mmol·L*¹ of blood lactate concentrations (V4). METHODS: Twelve national-level male swimmers completed two conditions in a randomized repeated-measures design, separated by one week: i) an experimental condition involving dryland resistance training (3×5 repetitions at 85% of one maximal repetition (1RM) plus core exercises) completed approximately 15 minutes before the swimming protocol, and a control condition without dryland resistance training before the swimming protocol. The swimming protocol consisted of 5x400-m in front crawl at V4. Peak oxygen uptake during recovery (O*peak; breath-rate data: 3 breaths) and delta (*) of blood lactate concentration ([La-]net) were measured following each 400-m repetition, and aerobic (Aer), anaerobic lactic (AnL), and total energy expenditure (Etot) were estimated. RESULTS: No differences were observed between conditions for Aer, AnL, or Etot (*²=0.01-0.03, p=0.34-0.87), nor O*peak (*²=0.01, p=0.88). Effect sizes between conditions were trivial to small (d = *0.05 to 0.13 for energy expenditure; d = *0.02 to 0.11 for O*peak). However, time effects were noted, with Aer, Etot, and O*peak increasing across repetitions (*²=0.28-0.32, p=0.01). The [La-]net was similar between conditions (p=0.27; d=0.27-0.57). CONCLUSIONS: Dryland resistance session, aiming to maximum strength, before a moderate intensity swimming protocol does not affect acute physiological responses during swimming. These findings support the feasibility of combining maximum strength dryland resistance training and aerobic swimming training within the same session without acute adverse effects
© Copyright 2026 XVth International Symposium on Biomechanics and Medicine in Swimming Proceedings. All rights reserved.
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| Notations: | endurance sports technical and natural sciences biological and medical sciences |
| Published in: | XVth International Symposium on Biomechanics and Medicine in Swimming Proceedings |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Porto Alegre
2026
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| Edition: | \\iat\iks\db\open_archive\bms\15_147_Arsoniadis_Dryland.pdf |
| Series: | Biomechanics and Medicine in Swimming, XV |
| Pages: | 426-432 |
| Document types: | congress proceedings |
| Level: | advanced |