Short-Term Detraining Alters Body Composition and Lipid Profile but Not Performance in Recreational University Swimmers

Most detraining research in swimming has focused on competitive athletes, whereas less is known about recreational university swimmers, a population commonly exposed to temporary interruptions in structured training. This study examined the effects of 4 weeks of naturally occurring detraining on anthropometric, body composition, biochemical, kinematic, and performance variables in recreational university swimmers. Sixteen young swimmers were assessed before and after detraining, following at least one year of participation in a structured university swimming training program. Anthropometric, body composition, biochemical, kinematic, and performance variables were assessed before and after the detraining period. After detraining, waist and hip circumferences, fat mass, and total cholesterol increased. In contrast, fasting glucose, triglycerides, post-exercise lactate, 50 m performance, and kinematic variables showed no statistically significant changes. These findings suggest that, in recreational university swimmers, anthropometric, body composition, and metabolic variables may be more sensitive to short-term detraining than sprint performance-related outcomes. However, the absence of statistically significant performance changes should be interpreted with caution.