Reliability and Validity of a Flume-Based Maximal Oxygen Uptake Swimming Test.

A mode-specific swimming protocol to assess maximal aerobic uptake (VOmax) is vital to accurately evaluate swimming performance. A need exists for reliable and valid swimming protocols that assess VOmax in a flume environment. The purpose was to assess: (a) reliability and (b) "performance" validity of a VOmax flume protocol using the 457-m freestyle pool performance swim (PS) test as the criterion. Nineteen males ( = 9) and females ( = 10) (age, 28.5 ± 8.3 years.; height, 174.7 ± 8.2 cm; mass, 72.9 ± 12.5 kg; %body fat, 21.4 ± 5.9) performed two flume VOmax tests (VOmaxA and VOmaxB) and one PS test [457 m (469.4 ± 94.7 s)]. For test-retest reliability (Trials A vs. B), moderately strong relationships were established for VOmax (mL·kg·min)(r= 0.628, = 0.002), Opulse (mL O·beat)(r = 0.502, = 0.014), VEmax (L·min) (r = 0.671, = 0.001), final test time (sec) (0.608, = 0.004), and immediate post-test blood lactate (IPE (BLa)) (0.716, = 0.001). For performance validity, moderately strong relationships ( < 0.05) were found between VOmaxA (r =-0.648, = 0.005), Opulse (r= -0.623, = 0.008), VEmax (r = -0.509 = 0.037), and 457-m swim times. The swimming flume protocol examined is a reliable and valid assessment of VOmax and offers an alternative for military, open water, or those seeking complementary forms of training to improve swimming performance.