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The ability to generate and control mental images is present in all of us, but it differs from person to person. Therefore, it is important to understand that imagery ability can be changed through training and experimentation, it is not a fixed ability. The aim of this study is to compare imagery ability in elite, sub-elite and non-elite athletes in a sport which involves closed and continuous motor skills, such as swimming. 79 swimmers (male N = 37; female N = 42) at an average age of 17 took part in this study. In order to assess imagery ability, the Movement Imagery Questionnaire 3 was used, Portuguese version (Mendes et al., 2016). After analysis of the results, these show that in each and every imagery modality, the scores in the three groups differ significantly. In kinesthetic and external visual imagery the elite and sub-elite groups’ scores, although not statistically different from each other, are significantly higher than those of the non-elite group. In internal visual imagery, the differences between all the compared pairs of groups are statistically significant. The elite group got the highest scores, followed by the sub-elite group average scores and finally the non-elite group average scores. According to these results, the conclusion is that athletes with better performance show greater imagery ability and that apparently the external visual imagery proved to be the best intervention method among swimming athletes.

Purpose The aim of this study was to analyze the acute responses of oxygen uptake and its kinetics, blood lactate concentration, total metabolic energy and energetic contributions to swimming tests performed at 90%, 92.5% and 95% of the 400 m front crawl test mean speed. Methods Fourteen male swimmers (26.7 ± 5.4 years) performed a 400 m front crawl test and three swimming sets at 90%, 90.5%, and 95% of the mean 400 m test swimming speed. Oxygen uptake, blood lactate concentration, oxygen uptake kinetics (amplitude, time in seconds of the fast phase, time delay and constant time adjustment in the fast phase), total metabolic energy and energetic contributions were obtained. Descriptive and inferential statistics were applied. Results Among the results, the oxygen uptake and time in the 400 m test were: 55.0 ± 5.8 ml.kg−1.min−1 and 324.2 ± 20.0 s. At 90, 92.5 and 95% sets, the oxygen uptake was, respectively, 45.6 ± 4.4, 49.0 ± 6.0, and 52.4 ± 5.8 ml.kg−1.min−1. For 90%, 90.5%, and 95%, total time to exhaustion was, respectively: 1466.1 ± 730.9; 888.71 ± 324.0 and 562.7 ± 166.6 s. The amplitude of the kinetics was higher at 95% set. The slow component of the VO2 kinetics on the 90%, 92.5% and 95% sets were, respectively: 120.7 ± 82.9 ml.min−1, 171.8 ± 140.6 ml.min−1, and 182.6 ± 120.2 ml.min−1. No differences were identified among the slow component’s values. Aerobic contribution was predominant and has decreased as the intensity increased. Conclusion The results suggest that, as there was an increase in intensity (90%, 92.5%, and 95%): (i) increase in oxygen uptake, in blood lactate concentration, in the amplitude of oxygen uptake kinetic; and (ii) decrease in total metabolic energy. Regarding the aerobic and anaerobic percentage contribution, as expected, as the intensity of the exercise increased, the aerobic percentage decreased, in turn, the anaerobic component increased.