REF-650 · González-Ravé, Hermosilla, González-Mohíno, Casado & Pyne, 2021 · International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance, · Paper
Systematic review of 9 studies: highly trained swimmers set intensity distribution by event
Sprinters polarized/threshold, middle-distance threshold/pyramidal, long-distance pyramidal — within wave-like mesocycle periodization
Evidence base
3487 records screened; 17 articles after title/abstract screening; 9 studies included — 3 intervention studies (evidence level 1b) and 6 observational retrospective studies (2b).
Databases: Scopus, PubMed, Web of Science. Included studies reported training load (volume, TID) and periodization in swimming.
Key Findings
Sprint swimmers typically followed a polarized and threshold TID; middle-distance swimmers a threshold and pyramidal TID; long-distance swimmers primarily a pyramidal TID.
The periodization model in most studies is wave-like cycles in mesocycle-sized units, aimed at physiological adaptation and skill acquisition.
Conclusion: highly trained swimmers follow a training volume and TID based on their primary event. Further experimental work on block and reverse periodization is needed; observational data cannot say whether a different approach would work better.
Practical Application
In a systematic review of 9 studies of highly trained swimmers, intensity distribution tracked the primary event: sprinters polarized/threshold, middle-distance threshold/pyramidal, long-distance pyramidal — so match a swimmer's hard-fraction structure to the target event rather than applying one template to all swimmers.
Organise the season in wave-like mesocycles (the dominant model in the reviewed studies); treat block or reverse periodization as untested for swimming performance.
Inference, not tested: the review does not state that sprinters do less total low-intensity volume; it characterises the distribution shape, not absolute volumes, in the abstract.
Limitations
Qualitative systematic review of heterogeneous elite data (no pooled meta-analysis); distribution definitions vary between studies.
Only 3 intervention studies; 6 are retrospective observational, so cause and effect cannot be separated.
How this entry was checked and changed
Content correction 2026-09-27
Entry reduced the finding to "sprinters polarized, distance pyramidal" -> abstract: sprint = polarized and threshold; middle-distance = threshold and pyramidal; long-distance = pyramidal.
Entry's "large volumes at low intensity" is not stated in the abstract; reframed as event-based TID. Added the evidence base (9 studies: 3 intervention, 6 observational) and the wave-like mesocycle periodization finding.
Tier set to 3-4 (abstract: "highly trained swimmers") from "4-5 (elite swimmers)".