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Nos últimos anos tem-se assistido a um interesse considerável no desenvolvimento de atletas tomando a noção de preparação desportiva a longo prazo (PDLP) como ferramenta essencial de planeamento. Parece estar a assistir-se a quebra de recordes mundiais por parte de nadadores que apresentam idades cada vez mais avançadas. Não obstante esta constatação, a investigação nesta matéria permanece escassa. Neste estudo pretende-se verificar uma possível tendência de aumento da longevidade de atletas de nível internacional, mais concretamente proceder a uma análise retrospetiva da idade dos recordistas mundiais, tendo-se selecionado para o efeito o estilo Costas no setor Masculino.

Sumário O acompanhamento da preparação desportiva a longo prazo (PDLP) por parte dos treinadores, em função de etapas específicas de maturação de estruturas que suportam a performance, potencia as possibilidades dos atletas maximizarem as suas prestações desportivas. Deste modo, a PDLP pode ser entendida como uma abordagem de planeamento de treino centrada nas questões de crescimento e desenvolvimento do atleta, promovendo a longevidade no seu rendimento. A Federação Portuguesa de Natação (FPN) concebeu um modelo PDLP enquadrado no plano estratégico 2014-2024 (Marinho, Machado, & Silva, 2016). Após três anos de implementação, importa avaliar o seu impacto e recetividade por parte da comunidade técnica. Para o efeito, propomos avaliar a perceção dos agentes desportivos face ao modelo PDLP implementado pela FPN, bem como a sua perceção sobre a importância dos domínios de avaliação de nadadores de diferentes escalões de formação. Adicionalmente, pretende-se avaliar a perceção que os atletas têm da eficácia interventiva dos seus treinadores.

Introduction: The main purpose of this study was to have a comparison of the physical fitness levels and body mass index of students with urban and rural residence from an elementary school in Portugal. Methods: The sample covered 270 students, 142 male and 128 female, aged between 9 and 16, from the 5th to the 9th grade. The Fitnessgram test battery (NES, 2002) measured the physical fitness, the body mass index was based on the reference values from the World Health Organization (1995) and the students' characterization was assessed through the biographical archives given by the school. Results: The test results only demonstrated significant differences (p <0.05) amongst these students: Females in the 5th and 6th grade in the following tests, trunk extension with better results in students with rural residence and middle strenght with better results in students with urban residence; Males in the 5th and 6th grade in the following tests: the shuttle run with better results in students with rural residence; Females between 7th and 9th grade in the following tests: trunk extension with better results in students with urban residence. Conclusions: Significant differences were not observed between the levels of physical fitness and BMI related to the place of residence (rural and urban).

Several studies claim that the physical effort of students during the Physical Education classes (PE) is low. There is a lack of desirable intensity to cause adaptations and improvement of physical fitness. Purpose: In this study, we intend to analyse the average values of heart rate (HR) during different phases of the PE class, trying to identify possible differences between collective and individual sports (basketball and apparatus gymnastics). The sample consisted of a group of 15 students, 5 female and 10 male (15.2 ± 12:56 years) and the study was conducted over 10 sessions (5 of each type), registering values of HR (bpm) using HR monitors (Polar Electronic, FT1 model). Results: After exploratory data analysis there were significant differences in the transition phase (basketball: 146 ± 27.2 bpm, p = 0.001; apparatus gymnastics: 138.4 ± 25.8 bpm, p = 0.001) and the drilling stage (basketball: 151.2 ± 26.1 bpm, p = 0.000; gymnastics apparatus: 143.0 ± 27.0 bpm, p = 0.000). In the process of organizing, the differences were not significant (basketball: 136.8 ± 26.2 bpm, p = 0526; apparatus gymnastics: 132.3 ± 23.9 bpm, p = 0526). Conclusions: Having these results, we believe that PE teachers should plan sessions that provide increased uptime and higher levels of intensity for students, especially in periods of drilling, regardless of the class.

The aim of this study was to analyze the association between coaches’ experience and their perceptions on the implementation of a long-term athletic development (LTAD) model created in 2016 by the Portuguese Swimming Federation. Eighty-six swimming coaches were assembled in groups according to their experience level: “novice” (n = 24), “intermediate” (n = 26), and “experienced” (n = 36), and they answered a questionnaire with the following items: (i) awareness of the existing model (ii) acceptance (iii) usefulness for practice, and (iv) implementation of this model by their peers. Regardless of experience, ~67% of the coaches were aware of the model. Among those, a large number showed acceptance (~95%) and confidence in its usefulness (~83%) for their daily practice. Most coaches (92%) showed concerns about the fact that their peers do not respect the model frameworks, declaring the search for their swimmers’ immediate success (~58%) as the main cause for such behavior. The results also showed an association between experience and knowledge about the model’s existence [χ2 (2) = 10.223, p < 0.01, V = 0.345], and experienced coaches exhibited better knowledge than their intermediate [χ2 (2) = 9.555, p < 0.01, V = 0.393] or novice [χ2 (2) = 5.926, p = 0.02, V = 0.314] counterparts. While there was an association between the coaches’ experience and knowledge about the LTAD model’s existence, this situation does not seem to influence the way coaches accept and understand the usefulness of the model for their daily practice.