Energy System Demands Of Water Polo: A Review of Research

                   In researching the specific demands placed on a water polo players body this is what I have found:

General Demands
-          Biomechanical observations of throwing and shooting support empirical evidence that water polo players require moderately high levels of muscular strength and power.
 
Demands of Field Play
-          Most activities in games last for <20 Seconds
-          Intense movements and sprints average 7 to 14 seconds
-          Activities are performed in sequences, resulting in cumulative and larger duration moderate to high intensity periods of exertion which approximate 2/3’s of game time.
-          Heart Rate during games corresponds with intensities greater than 80% of maximal aerobic power ( Vo2 Max)
-          For almost all of the time players are in the pool their heart rates exceed 80% of maximum
-          Intervening lower intensity activities during play were insufficient in duration for recovery, thereby ensuring a persistent moderately high demand on aerobic metabolism.
-          While swimming there is a high demand from the anaerobic alatic system as well as a a high demand on the aerobic system for the replenishment of creatine phosphate
-          Glycolitic metabolism is greatly accelerated at the onset of maximal activity
-          Maximal swimming exercise has been shown to be between 11 & 20 min per game
-          Players who accumulate high levels of lactate early in the game will have insufficient time to recover
-          Swimming for the purpose of transportation comprises of 20% of the total game 11-13 min and 33% of the time the player is in the water. Half of this time is spent sprinting.
-          On average a player swims 60 times for transportation a game
 
Demands of Goal Tending
-          All activities classified as being medium to high intensity were of brief duration , 45 seconds and under
-          Brief explosive movements are infrequent but are required of goalies following 10-15 seconds of intense work
-          Efficiency of goal tending may depend on the quality of the execution of particular skills.
Neuromuscular demands
-          Relatively high levels of activities and force generation during multiple movements in water polo.
-          Ball velocities relate of over hand throws range from 16.5 to19.19 meters/ second
-          45%- 55% of time in play is spent horizontal depending on position with the rest of the time spent vertical
-          Acceleration from 0 to greater than 2 mps happens 60 or more times per game

​Brian Xicotencatl
​B.A., CSCS, USAW-1, FMS LVL 1, Technogym Master Trainer