Effects Of Ischemic Preconditioning On Max Effort 200-yd Swim In Competitive Female Swimmers

Ischemic preconditioning (IPC) has been proposed as a potential ergogenic aid in a variety of sport settings. However, studies involving female participants are limited and the use of IPC in middle-distance swimming has not been examined. PURPOSE: Our purpose was to investigate the effects of IPC on a 200-yd time trial in competitive female swimmers. METHODS: In a cross-over design, 10 females from the university’s varsity swim team or the local master’s swim team received either IPC or sham treatment prior to completing a race-paced 200-yd swim. IPC treatment involved 3 cycles of 5-min bilateral blood flow occlusion to the thighs, alternating with 5 min reperfusion. Sham treatment consisted of 3 bilateral 1-min cycles of occlusion and reperfusion. Participants were told that the 3 x 5-min IPC protocol has been shown to improve performance and that we wanted to see if the shorter version was as effective. The study had been approved by the university’s IRB committee. RESULTS: Results showed no differences (p = 0.201) between mean swim time following the IPC treatment (139.21 + 10.63 sec) compared to the sham treatment (139.92 + 11.13 sec). CONCLUSION: It was concluded that the IPC technique consisting of 3 cycles of 5 min occlusion/reperfusion did not improve performance in a 200-yd swim for competitive female swimmers. SAB received institutional grant funding to purchase equipment for the study