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Post-race lactate, clearance velocity, and recovery protocols in youth competitive swimming

Ragini Adhikari, María Luciana Pérez Armendáriz, Bhanu Bawari, Siddhant Gadge, Sophie Smyth, Max Chisholm et al. · Journal of Applied Sports Sciences · 2026

This study examined how a 1200-meter cool-down protocol helps youth swimmers clear lactate (a fatigue byproduct) after races of different distances, and whether perceived effort and recovery feeling correlated with actual lactate levels. Swimmers racing 100m accumulated more lactate immediately after racing and cleared it faster during cool-down, though the total amount cleared was similar across race distances.
Takeaway: Use longer, active cool-downs after high-intensity short races (like 100m) since these events produce more lactate and benefit from faster clearance velocities.
Abstract (source)

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.

Primary studyOpen accessRecovery & SleepWomen's & Youth Athletics
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