Abstract A COMPARISON IN MOOD STATES OF DISTANCE AND SPRINT SWIMMERS

The aim of the present study was to compare mood states in distance and sprint trained swimmers and observe how these moods relate to performance and change throughout the swim season. Participants from the ECU swim team completed the Profile of Mood States (POMS) and Athlete Engagement Questionnaire (AEQ) at baseline, mid-season, max training and taper portions of the competitive season. Meets that fell within two weeks of an administered questionnaire were used to calculate performance as a percentage of the swimmer’s best in-season time. There were changes over time in the POMS total mood disturbance (TMD) scores and fatigue subscale, where team averages in TMD and fatigue peaked in mid-season and declined after the taper period to values much lower than observed at baseline. The only significant difference observed with a Time * Training Type Interaction was in feelings of fatigue. Sprint and mid-distance swimmers were more fatigued than distance swimmers at pre-season and max training. All groups had similar values at mid-season and taper. Significant changes in the dedication and enthusiasm components of Athlete Engagement (AE) were found over time. All groups experienced lower values o