DELIBERATE PRACTICE THE SWIMMERS ATHLETES THE BRAZILIAN PARALYMPIC TEAM

Abstract

Accumulation of hours spent in regular practice, intentionally and with outlined goals is characterized as deliberate practice, this being is the type of practice in which athletes of the Brazilian Paralympic Team engage. OBJECTIVE: Analyze the profile of deliberate practice of Brazilian Paralympic swimmers. METHODS: The Ethics Committee approved this study (CEP nº 116.075). The subjects were 20 swimmers, 12 male and 8 female athletes, aged 25.6±7.7 years, all members of the Swimming Selection Program from Brazilian Paralympic Committee. Deliberate practice time was assessed by a questionnaire, and the Tanner Table was used to assess secondary biological maturation. Data analysis was performed descriptively, according to the divisions of questions. Results were presented quantitatively, especially regarding the hours spent in deliberate practice. RESULTS: 18 athletes with physical disabilities and 2 with visual impairment accumulated the average of 12,789 hoursin deliberate practice (median=10,290 hours). Results for secondary biological maturation were 16.41±1.31 years for males and 12.75±2.25 years for females. CONCLUSION: Accumulation of hours in deliberate practice of Brazilian Paralympic swimmers is similar to other athletes, as previously described in literature. Relating secondary biological maturation to the deliberate practice of swimmers, it was observed that they coincide, predicting that the training phase for specialization of athletes in paralympic swimming occurs after or within certain biological markers of adolescence.

Received on: 01/12/2019

Accepted: 02/12/2019