Journal of Applied Sports Sciences 10(2): 28-41, doi: 10.37393/JASS.2026.10.02.3
Post-race lactate, clearance velocity, and recovery protocols in youth competitive swimming
Ragini Adhikari‡, Maria Luciana Perez Armendariz§, Bhanu Bawari‡, Siddhant Gadge‡, Sophie Smyth‡, Max Chisholm‡, Eloise May‡, Evdokia Varamenti|, Samuel Andrew Pullinger‡¶‡ Inspire Institute of Sport, Bellary, India§ The School of Medical and Health Sciences, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup, Australia| Sports Science Department, Aspire Academy, Doha, United Arab Emirates¶ Research Institute for Sport and Exercise Sciences, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, United Kingdom
Corresponding author: Samuel Andrew Pullinger ( samuel.pullinger@inspireinstituteofsport.com ) Academic editor: Lubomir Petrov © Ragini Adhikari, Maria Luciana Perez Armendariz, Bhanu Bawari, Siddhant Gadge, Sophie Smyth, Max Chisholm, Eloise May, Evdokia Varamenti, Samuel Andrew Pullinger. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0), which permits to copy and distribute the article for non-commercial purposes, and the original author and source are credited. Adapted content must be distributed under the same license Citation:
Adhikari R, Armendariz MLP, Bawari B, Gadge S, Smyth S, Chisholm M, May E, Varamenti E, Pullinger SA (2026) Post-race lactate, clearance velocity, and recovery protocols in youth competitive swimming. Journal of Applied Sports Sciences 10(2): 28-41. https://doi.org/10.37393/JASS.2026.10.02.3 |  |
Abstract
Post-race cool-downs play a crucial role in enhancing lactate clearance and recovery in competitive swimming. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a 1200 m cool-down protocol in facilitating blood lactate removal across different race distances. It also explored the relationship between perceptual and physiological markers of eff ort and recovery, specifically: (a) the correlation between Total Quality of Recovery (TQR) and pre-race lactate concentrations, and (b) the association between Rating of Perceived Exertion (RPE) and post-race lactate concentrations. A total of 26 male and female swimmers (17.83 ± 2.25 years) were included. Capillary blood samples were collected at three time points—Pre-Race Lactate (PreRLa), Post-Race Lactate (PoRLa), and Post-Cool Down Lactate (PoCDLa)—during a state-level meet. TQR and RPE were recorded at the start and end of each race, respectively. Lactate Clearance % and Lactate Clearance Velocity were calculated for analysis. We used SPSS 23 for statistical tests, with significance set at p < .05. Results showed significant differences in PoRLa concentrations across race distances (p = .001), with higher post-race lactate accumulation in 100 m swimmers. Although Lactate Clearance was similar across distances, Lactate Clearance Velocity was highest in the 100 m group. No significant differences were observed in TQR and RPE scores. Correlation analysis revealed a strong positive relationship between PoRLa and Lactate Clearance Velocity (r = .916) and a moderate positive association between PoR-La and PoCDLa (r = .523). These findings demonstrate differences in post-race lactate responses and clearance velocity across swimming events. The study provides practical insights to refi ne cool-down protocols and optimize recovery strategies tailored to the unique metabolic demands of competitive swimmers.
Keywords
Blood Lactate Clearance Rate, Cool-down protocol, Rating of Perceived Exertion, Swimmers