Florian Wellbrock has continued to make waves in the swimming world with his recent achievements. He pulled away for an 18.7-second win in the Open Water 10K at the World Championships, showcasing his dominance in the sport. This win was Germany’s second in two 10K races in Fukuoka, marking a significant milestone for the country in the sport of swimming. This gold medal was Wellbrock’s fifth at the World Championships. After becoming the very first athlete of the German Swimming Federation who using INSCYD, Florian Wellbrock has solidified his position as one of the top swimmers in the world.
Wellbrock’s performance at the 2020 Summer Olympics was also remarkable. He won the gold medal in the 10-kilometer open water swim and the bronze medal in the 1500-meter freestyle. In December 2021, he won a gold medal in the 1500-meter freestyle at the 2021 World Short Course Championships.
Time ago we announced the start of the collaboration with our partners the German Swimming Federation (DSV). Together, we chose to take a small group of national swimmers to start with. With Florian Wellbrock and Sarah Köhler being part of this group.
INSCYD worked closely together with DSV. Testing protocols were developed and fine tuned, test data was discussed extensively. Example topics are: how can we use the INSCYD test results in training and racing, what does an ideal VLamax look like for a specific athlete and swimming distance and what lactate accumulation rate can the athlete sustain in the final of the race and for how long?
Over the last 12 months, INSCYD and DSV worked closely together. Testing protocols were developed and fine tuned, test data was discussed extensively. Example topics are: how can we use the INSCYD test results in training and racing, what does an ideal VLamax look like for a specific athlete and swimming distance and what lactate accumulation rate can the athlete sustain in the final of the race and for how long?
Florian Wellbrock first won the bronze medal in the 1500m in the pool. This is obviously a much shorter distance than the 10km open water marathon, where he won gold. The races also require a slightly different energetic profile. Performing at both races shows how well Florian understands the race demands and how to prepare himself for such varying efforts.
Florian (already World Champion back then) was not only the first to perform an INSCYD test, but also the athlete who collected the most INSCYD data over time, he often was a good use case example to discuss.
There are 3 metabolic pathways that contribute to the production of power in swimming:
These energy systems work together to provide the body with energy in the form of ATP molecules.
In each swim race, the anaerobic energy production plays a significant role. This is where the design of training programs comes into play. Training programs can be designed to increase an athlete’s anaerobic power, which can be a key factor in improving race times.
Learn more in our article “GLYCOLYTIC POWER IN SWIMMING : THE MISSING LINK”
Observing improvements in your swimmers’ 100m freestyle race times following a specific training program is indeed rewarding. However, understanding the factors behind this progress is equally important. It could be due to enhanced technique, quicker flip turns, reduced water drag, or potentially, an increase in the swimmer’s anaerobic power. Recognizing these elements can help optimize training strategies.
Also watch our webinar where we show how to measure the energy cost at a given swimming speed, using simple testing in the pool.
INSCYD create a 360° physiological performance profile of an athlete’s energy metabolism. Key metrics such as the maximum oxygen uptake (VO2max) and the maximum lactate formation rate (VLamax) are calculated to assess the aerobic and anaerobic metabolism of the athlete.
The INSCYD software enables coaches to precisely understand the physiological capacities of their athletes. Therefore coaches are able to identify strength and weaknesses of certain metabolic metrics of their athlete. A coach can easily leverage this information into practice to create the most efficient training programs.
Two good examples are the ability to optimize pacing- and fueling strategies. Knowing the exact maximal swimming speed you can sustain during a 10km swim ensures you that you never go too fast or too slow. Knowing the energy required for such an effort makes sure you consume enough energy during the race to keep up the speed during the full 10km.
The lactate accumulation graph for instance shows the lactate buildup or recovery at any given swimming speed. This can be used as a marker for fatigue accumulation.
Another example is the fat combustion and carbohydrate combustion graph, which shows exactly how much fat and carbohydrates a swimmer burns at any given swimming speed.
Combine this information with the glycogen content at the start (from the INSCYD glycogen calculator), and you know exactly how much you should refuel.
To calculate the exact amount of glycogen in the active muscle, INSCYD users can utilize an algorithm that calculates the glycogen content in your athlete based on:
You may leave the setting to automatic or manually enter a glycogen content that you want to use (per kg muscle mass).
The results are also presented in the metabolic profile report.
Unlock the full potential of your athletes! Book a FREE Demo in your own language with our INSCYD team to optimize your sports coaching or lab practices.
Read our swimming case study where we compares two 800 meter freestyle swim athletes. The study highlighted the importance of understanding the physiological differences between athletes, and how INSCYD software can provide a comprehensive metabolic profile to inform training programs. The case study demonstrated how the software can measure key metrics such as VO2max, VLamax, and lactate accumulation and recovery rates, among others. These insights have been instrumental in the success of athletes like Florian Wellbrock.
Additionally learn more about which performance metrics make the difference in swimming, how you can measure those and how you put them into practice. Watch the webinar:
The use of technology and science in swimming is revolutionizing the sport. The DSV’s partnership with INSCYD is a step towards a new era of sports science support for the training process. The ability to quantify the effect of training and plan the next stimulus more specifically is a game-changer.
When you look at recent races from Florian Wellbrock, you’ll notice how dominant his performance is. He’s able to plan and execute both his fueling and pacing strategy like never before. This is a testament to the effectiveness of the INSCYD software and the hard work put in by Wellbrock and his coaching team.
Florian Wellbrock’s success is a testament to the effectiveness of this approach. His journey is a shining example of the potential of combining athletic talent with scientific training methods.
We encourage coaches and federations who pursue similar goals to get in touch with us. We look forward to getting to know each other. Book your free demo now, or contact us so we can reach out to you.
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