Sports training for key competitions in short-course swimming for national-level female athletes

Aim. This study aims to analyze the training load and the preparatory phases for major competitions during the first macrocycle of short-course swimming. Materials and Methods. This seventeenweek study involved two elite female swimmers. It analyzed the volume and content of training loads within the macrocycle (using quantitative methods) and competitive performance results. Based on the obtained data, recommendations were developed. Results. The analysis showed that training loads were focused on the demands of competition rather than on specific stroke technique. The primary training volume was performed using the front crawl, with the tasks implemented sequentially: developing aerobic capacity, special endurance at the anaerobic threshold level, competitive speed-strength endurance and maintaining the achieved levels of aerobic endurance and absolute speed. The total swimming volume was 846 km over 162 on-water training sessions and 38 gym sessions. The mean weekly training frequency was 9.53 ± 0.45 sessions, with a mean volume per session of 5.22 ± 0.51 km and a mean weekly volume of 50.07 ± 6.02 km. The mean training volume per week by training periods was as follows: 5.7 ± 1.92 km and 51 ± 17.1 km in the first period; 5.58 ± 0.83 km and 55.9 ± 8.33 km in the second period; 5.18 ± 1.2 km and 51.75 ± 12 km in the third period; and 4.39 ± 1.75 km and 41.65 ± 18 km in the fourth period. All female athletes showed positive dynamics in their competitive results. Conclusion. Performance enhancement in elite female swimmers is facilitated by a six-week high-volume aerobic phase, a subsequent three-week intensification phase at the anaerobic threshold level, and a mixed-model pre-competitive taper involving a progressive (smooth to sharp) reduction in training volume over three weeks.