We are constantly receiving requests from coaches and athletes about ways to edge out the competition using Phlex Swim data. This pursuit of excellence is where Phlex becomes an invaluable tool in any coaches arsenal, or swimmers toolkit.

‍We previously discussed that performance in swimming is primarily driven by physiology and technique. When we want to improve our swimmers, we are looking for them to hit specific target times which will put them in specific training zones. This will in turn elicit adaptation in that given system in a hope this will lead to a performance change. Additionally, the best coaches know its not only about hitting times and right physiology, as we can’t afford to neglect technique which can often drive even bigger performance improvements. That’s why, we want to hit/improve both simultaneously.

In this article, we will delve into how Phlex can be utilized to enhance performance through meticulous daily training analysis.

Integrating Data-Driven Insights into Daily Training

Phlex stands at the forefront of blending physiology and technique, the two crucial elements that underpin swimming performance. This tool enables coaches to extract detailed insights from daily training sessions, revealing each swimmer's strengths and pinpointing areas needing enhancement. This approach is not just about hitting target times; it's about stimulating adaptation in specific training zones, leading to transformative performance changes. With Phlex, coaches can now seamlessly integrate stroke analysis in training, marrying physiological and technical aspects in both training monitoring and race preparation.

Case Study: The Impact of Detailed Swim Analysis on Performance

Our focus is on a 15-year-old swimmer, striving to improve their 100m breaststroke, boasting personal bests of 1:05 for 100m and 30.5 for 50m. Using Phlex, we delve into a set of 7 x 50m sprints with a 5-minute rest interval, uncovering a wealth of performance data.

Part 1: Initial Performance Analysis

We begin by examining the first session, where the swimmer completes 7x50m breaststroke sprints. A screenshot from the Phlex UI will visually demonstrate the swimmer's performance in this set. This provides an initial benchmark of the athlete's capabilities, highlighting key areas such as time, stroke efficiency, and physiological response.

1. Performance and Efficiency Over Time: Here, we focus on how the swimmer's performance evolves during the first two 50m sprints. The Phlex data shows that the swimmer starts with high efficiency and speed, crucial indicators for short-distance prowess. This initial performance sets a benchmark, allowing coaches to understand the swimmer's ability to maintain speed and technique over short bursts. For anyone using Phlex, this aspect of the data is essential as it highlights the athlete's peak performance state, providing a clear target for maintaining and surpassing in future training sessions.
2. Technique Resilience Under Stress: As the session progresses, Phlex data reveals a decrease in distance per stroke in the later sprints. This decline is a critical indicator of technique deterioration under fatigue. For coaches and athletes using Phlex, such insights are invaluable. They underscore the importance of focusing on maintaining consistent technique throughout training, especially when under physical stress. This insight guides coaches in designing training regimens that build endurance and technique resilience, crucial for high-performance swimming.
3. Physiological Response and Adaptation: The consistency of the swimmer's heart rate across sprints, with a notable increase in the final sprint, provides key insights into physiological response and endurance. For users of Phlex, understanding these physiological patterns is crucial for customizing recovery periods and adjusting training intensity. It allows coaches to tailor training programs that optimize physiological adaptation to high-intensity efforts, enhancing overall swimming performance.
4. Integrating Technical and Physiological Training: Phlex’s data goes beyond mere time tracking. It helps in understanding whether improvements made in technique at lower intensities are effectively translating into race-pace scenarios. For Phlex users, this means being able to identify if a decline in performance is due to technical or physiological factors. This holistic approach enables a more effective training strategy, ensuring that both technical skill and physical conditioning are harmoniously developed.
5. Adaptation and Improvement Over Time: By continuously monitoring these metrics, coaches can observe how adaptations in training are impacting performance. This is particularly evident in sets designed for lactate tolerance or race simulation, where maintaining speed and technique under fatigue is crucial.

Part 2: Detailed Breakdown of Technique and Efficiency

In-Depth Analysis of 25m Splits

Next, we revisit the same set, but this time, we break down the performance into 25m splits. This granular view provides insights into how the swimmer's technique and efficiency vary within each 50m sprint, particularly how they handle the second half of each sprint. This detailed analysis helps in pinpointing specific areas for technique refinement and endurance enhancement.

‍Part 3: Comparative Analysis and Adaptation

Follow-Up Session Based on Feedback

From the perspective of the athletes Heart Rate (HR), when we run sessions to improve anaerobic systems, one of the key points is to allow HR to come down to consistently low starting levels. This indirectly means that aerobic systems won’t take over later in the session which would lead to stimulating different pathways and in turn show in slower times.

As we can see in this example, especially on the athletes final 50m, it is completely normal in this type of set to accnt for physiology becoming less and less efficient, therefore requiring more time for the body to recover and work the pathways we target in this set.

In the case of this swimmer, we can see that by 5^th 50m they hold their heart rate well, but on the last 50 m rep they would benefit from longer rest. Therefore, we can make adjustment for this swimmer next time and perhaps add 1 extra minute. It is also worth mentioning that swimmers with a higher threshold and greater aerobic capacity are able to recover faster as well as hold technique and intensity for longer without adding extra rest time.

This means that even sprinters will of course benefit from a developed base fitness as this will help them to maintain higher quality reps for longer. Finally, this data also shows that HR is not a very good indicator for gauging actual intensity in shorter distances as the speed at which HR responds to this type of work is not fast enough. Therefore, we advise athletes and coaches not to make a mistake thinking a swimmer is not working hard enough by relaying on HR in these types of sets and instead use times/stroke data alongside monitoring that HR is not climbing up and always recovers before you start another rep.

‍The Outcome: Improved Performance and Efficiency

Subsequent training sessions, guided by Phlex data, show marked improvements. The swimmer achieves faster times and maintains higher efficiency, particularly in the critical second half of each sprint. This is a direct result of targeted training adjustments based on Phlex insights.

In summary, Phlex is not just a tool for measuring times and physiological responses; it's a comprehensive system that enables a deeper understanding of how a swimmer's body and technique adapt and improve over time, providing a basis for precise and effective training interventions.

Adaptation and Improvement Over Time

Phlex’s true strength lies in its ability to track long-term changes. It’s not just about a single session; it’s about monitoring progress over weeks and months, observing how training adaptations translate into real-world performance gains.

The results speak for themselves. Athletes who train with insights from Phlex data see marked improvements – faster times, better efficiency, and a more refined technique, especially in the critical latter stages of their races.

Conclusion: Phlex as a Cornerstone of Modern Swim Training

Phlex is more than a training tool; it’s a paradigm shift in how we approach competitive swimming. It empowers coaches and swimmers to harness the power of data, turning every training session into a meticulously crafted step towards victory. You can watch our staff sports scientist Eva Piatrikova in her Webinar on Personalizing Swim Training with Science here.

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