Análise da percepção de estresse e recuperação em diferentes momentos na temporada e na variação de desempenho de nadadores juvenis

Abstract

The aims of the present study were to (1) analyze the perception of stress andrecovery of competitive swimmers, through the questionnaire RESTQ-76 Sport R, in different mesocycles of the periodization and also (2) to verify the possible relationship between swimming performance variation (SP) and the scales analyzed by this tool. Fourteen age-group (15,2 } 0,4 years), male, middle distanceand national competitive swimmers volunteered for this study. Swimmers perception of stress and recovery was evaluated at the end of the accumulation (C1, week 10),transformation (C2, week 16) and realization mesocycles (C3, week 18) and also atthe end of the main competition of the season (C4, week 19). The accumulation wascharacterized by the progressive increase of the training volume which wasperformed predominantly at moderate intensity. In the transformation the trainingloads were intensified in relation to the previous mesocycle. In the realization the aimwas to increase maximum swimming velocity and the rest periods as well. After that,there was the main competition. The fatigue scale decreased significantly from C1 toC3 (p=0,041). The SP was significantly correlated to the scales emotional stress(C3 = -0,56; C4 = -0,54), lack of energy (C3 =-0,56; C4 = -0,61), emotionalexhaustion(C3 = -0,66; C4 = -0,59),being in shape (C3 = 0,60; C4 = 0,69), selfefficacy(C3= 0,63; C4 = 0,77), self-regulation(C3 = 0,58), personalaccomplishment (C3 = 0,76) and injury (C3 = -0,55). These results point thatswimmers presented a reduction of fatigue perception in the realization mesocycle.Besides, the swimmers who had the greater positive SP were those who presentedthe smaller perception of emotional stress, lack of energy, emotional exhaustion and,at the same time, the greater perception of self-efficacy, being in shape, in C3 andC4, and only in C3 a greater perception of self-regulation and personalaccomplishment and smaller perception of injury. It can be concluded that swimmersfatigue perception is sensitive to the specific mesocycles characteristics and alsothat the previous mentioned scales may be used to monitor their swimming