ANAEROBIC FITNESS AS A DETERMINING FACTOR IN SURFING PERFORMANCE: A NARRATIVE REVIEW

Abstract

Despite the high metabolic demands of Surfing, the literature is limited regarding the aerobic and anaerobic characteristics of surfers.
Previous studies have used different forms of evaluation in an attempt to simulate surfers' actions. It is known that the energy production during
a surfing session comes from the oxidative-aerobic system due to long strokes, but the physical actions for a good performance in a surfing
session are also characterized by predominantly anaerobic efforts with short strokes and intense for entering the wave and pe rforming
maneuvers. Therefore, strength, speed and power capabilities become relevant in the participation of anaerobic metabolism. Anaerobic power
can be defined as the maximum energy released per unit time by that system; while anaerobic capacity represents the total amount of energy
available from anaerobic metabolism. Therefore, the aim of this study was to understand the relationship between anaerobic fitness and
performance in Surfing. Studies related to anaerobic fitness in surfers and athletes are essential for optimizing the prescription of physical
training in this sport and consequent better competitive performance. To do so, we carried out a search in the electronic databases: Pubmed,
Scielo, Lilacs and SPORTDiscus, using the keywords: “surf”, “surfing”, “anaerobic”, “anaerobic fitness” and “performance”. After the filtering
steps of the articles found, seven articles were selected for analysis that answered the guiding question. The results showed that aerobic
conditioning plays an important role in providing a solid base for cardiovascular training, but anaerobic conditioning is the fundamental factor
for short-duration activities, such as fast rowing to gain sufficient momentum at the entrance of the wave and to perform maneuvers during the
course in which the surfer remains on the wave.