Does the flutter kick increase hand propulsion in front crawl swimming?

This study aimed to investigate the effect of the flutter kick on the propulsive force generated by a stroke. Eight male swimmers performed 20 m front crawl trials under two conditions: the Whole Condition, involving maximum effort (T100%) and stroke frequencies at 70, 80, and 90% of T100%, and the Arm Condition, which excluded the flutter kick and matched stroke frequencies with the Whole Condition. Various parameters, including swimming velocity, stroke frequency, stroke length, three-dimensional (3D) resultant hand speed, and hand propulsion were calculated based on underwater 3D motion analysis and hand pressure distribution measurements.

Effects of Creatine Supplementation on the Performance, Physiological Response, and Body Composition Among Swimmers: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.

Background: Although recent studies have increasingly focused on examining the potential benefits of creatine supplementation to improve performance in swimming events, the impact of creatine supplementation on swimming performance remains a topic of debate and controversy. A comprehensive meta-analytical review was undertaken to evaluate the effects of creatine supplementation on the performance, physiological response, and body composition among swimmers.

Methods: The research methodology adhered strictly to the guidelines outlined by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA).

The Load-Velocity Slope Is an Indicator of the Active Drag in All Competitive Swimming Strokes.

Introduction: Active drag in swimming is a critical variable that affects swimmers' performance, as well as the physiological load, but it is challenging for practitioners to assess this variable. This study aimed to assess if the load-velocity profiling method can be used as an indicator of active drag.

Methods: A total of 419 swimmers performed three semitethered swimming trials in their speciality among the four competitive strokes with different external loads.

The relationship between load-velocity profiles and 50 m breaststroke performance in national-level male swimmers.

This study investigated the relationships between load-velocity profiling and 50 m breaststroke performance. Twenty-seven male swimmers qualified for the national championship participated and performed a 50 m breaststroke trial with a multicamera system. The total race time (t), forward velocity during surface swimming (v), stroke length, and stroke frequency were obtained from the automatic post-processing of the system.

Reliability of a semi-tethered front crawl sprint performance test in adolescent swimmers.

This study aimed to evaluate the test-retest reliability of a sprint performance test with semi-tethered front crawl swimming to indirectly assess the current potential to perform at maximal anaerobic effort in adolescent swimmers. Eight adolescent swimmers participated in this study (gender: females (n = 4) aged 13.0 ± 0.

The influence of sound waves and musical experiences on movement coordination with beats.

Synchronizing movement with external stimuli is important in musicians and athletes. This study investigated the effects of sound characteristics, including sound with harmonics (square wave) and without harmonics (sine wave) and levels of expertise in sports and music on rhythmic ability. Thirty-two university students participated in the study.

Load-Velocity Profile and Active Drag in Young Female Swimmers: An Age-Group Comparison.

Purpose: The present study aimed to establish differences in load-velocity profiling, active drag (AD), and drag coefficient (Cd) between 3 age groups of female swimmers.

Methods: Thirty-three swimmers (11, 13, or 16 y old) were recruited. The individual load-velocity profile was determined for the 4 competitive swimming strokes.

Using Statistical Parametric Mapping as a statistical method for more detailed insights in swimming: a systematic review.

Swimming is a time-based sport and hence strongly dependent from velocity. Most studies about swimming refer to velocity as discrete variable, i.e.

Differences in seasonal best times between short and long course in freestyle events in Spanish age-group swimmers.

Swimmers perform better times in short course due to the greater numbers of turns; however, the differences between short (SC) and long course (LC) depending on the swimmers' age and sex are unclear. The main aim of this study was to analyse the differences in seasonal best times between SC and LC in freestyle events in relation to age and sex. Seasonal best times performed in SC and LC in each freestyle swimming event of 100 top national Spanish swimmers in two seasons were included in this analysis.

The gold rush in para swimming: changes in the speed curve of a visually impaired world and paralympic champion - a case study.

This case study examined the association between 50 m freestyle and speed curve parameters of a world-class Paralympic swimmer and analysed the changes in speed curves and their frequency components across her performance levels. From 2018 to 2021, a visually impaired female swimmer (26.59 s in 50 m freestyle, S12 class) underwent 22 tests to obtain instantaneous speed synchronised with video recording.

Is the use of the coefficient of variation a valid way to assess the swimming intra-cycle velocity fluctuation?

Objectives: Swimming intra-cycle velocity fluctuation has often been assessed using the coefficient of variation, which requires a mathematical assumption of a positive linear relationship between the velocity mean and standard deviation. As this assumption has never been tested, the current study aimed to investigate the within-participant relationship between the mean and standard deviation of the intra-cycle velocity.

Design: Cross-sectional study.

"Selecting the right tool for the job" a narrative overview of experimental methods used to measure or estimate active and passive drag in competitive swimming.

Free-swimming performance depends strongly on the ability to develop propulsive force and minimise resistive drag. Therefore, estimating resistive drag (passive or active) may be important to understand how free-swimming performance can be improved. The purpose of this narrative overview was to describe and discuss experimental methods of measuring or estimating active and passive drag relevant to competitive swimming.

Intra- and inter-individual variability in the underwater pull-out technique in 200 m breaststroke turns.

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the intra- and inter-individual variability in arm-leg coordination during the underwater phase of the turn segment in 200 m breaststroke. Thirteen male swimmers were recruited and performed a 200 m breaststroke in a pre-calibrated 25 m pool. Sub-phases during the underwater segment were obtained using a notational analysis, and the mean velocity, displacement and duration during each sub-phase were obtained.

Differences in Race Characteristics between World-Class Individual-Medley and Stroke-Specialist Swimmers.

The purpose of the present study was to investigate differences between world-class individual medley (IM) swimmers and stroke-specialists using race analyses. A total of eighty 200 m races (8 finalists × 2 sexes × 5 events) at the 2021 European long-course swimming championships were analysed. Eight digital video cameras recorded the races, and the video footage was manually analysed to obtain underwater distance, underwater time, and underwater speed, as well as clean-swimming speed, stroke rate, and distance per stroke.

Reliability of the active drag assessment using an isotonic resisted sprint protocol in human swimming.

The purpose of the presents study was to investigate the reliability of the active drag (D) assessment using the velocity perturbation method (VPM) with different external resisted forces. Eight male and eight female swimmers performed 25 m sprints with five isotonic loads (1-2-3-4-5 kg for females; 1-3-5-7-9 kg for males), which were repeated twice on different days. The mean velocity and semi-tethered force were computed for each condition, and the free-swimming maximum velocity was estimated with load-velocity profiling.

Arm - Leg coordination profiling during the dolphin kick and the arm pull-out in elite breaststrokers.

In breaststroke races, the dolphin kick could finish before, at the same time, or during the arm pull-out, but it is unclear how swimmers perform this technique. The aim of this study was to investigate whether swimmers glide between the dolphin kick and arm pull-out, favour continuity or even overlap those two phases, as it would impact the active underwater sequence. Fourteen international and national male swimmers performed 100-m breaststroke with all-out effort in a pre-calibrated 25 m swimming pool.

Kinematic and kinetic parameters to identify water polo players' eggbeater kick techniques.

This study aimed to clarify the kinematic and kinetic parameters that identify the technical differences in the eggbeater kick. Twelve water polo players performed the eggbeater kick, and its kinematics were recorded by a motion capture system. Pressure distributions around the feet were measured by sixteen pressure sensors attached to the dorsal and plantar surfaces of the feet, from which the resultant fluid force acting on the feet and the vertical component of the force (i.

Arm-leg coordination during the underwater pull-out sequence in the 50, 100 and 200 m breaststroke start.

Objectives: To investigate the arm-leg coordination from different perspectives of motor control during the underwater start sequence to understand whether differences exist between the three competitive breaststroke swimming events.

Design: Cross-sectional study.

Methods: Forty-one breaststroke races (with race times relative to the world record): 50-meter (n = 14, 87.

How do swimmers control their front crawl swimming velocity? Current knowledge and gaps from hydrodynamic perspectives.

The aim of this study was to review the literature on front crawl swimming biomechanics, focusing on propulsive and resistive forces at different swimming velocities. Recent studies show that the resistive force increases in proportion to the cube of the velocity, which implies that a proficient technique to miminise the resistive (and maximise the propulsive) force is particularly important in sprinters. To increase the velocity in races, swimmers increase their stroke frequency.

Differences between elite and sub-elite swimmers in a 100 m breaststroke: a new race analysis approach with time-series velocity data.

The purpose of the present study was to investigate differences in a 100 m breaststroke time-trial between elite and sub-elite swimmers. Elite and sub-elite male swimmers (seven each; 772.1 ± 35.

Differences in the rotational effect of buoyancy and trunk kinematics between front crawl and backstroke swimming.

The purpose of the present study was to investigate differences between front crawl and backstroke swimming in hydrodynamic (produced by swimmers) and buoyant torque around the transverse axis. Ten swimmers performed 50 m front crawl and backstroke at four selected velocities (same velocities for both techniques). All trials were recorded by four underwater and two above-water cameras to collect data for three-dimensional whole-body motion during one stroke cycle (defined as a period between two consecutive wrist entries to the water).

The Relationship Between Selected Load-Velocity Profile Parameters and 50 m Front Crawl Swimming Performance.

The purpose of the present study was to establish relationships between sprint front crawl performance and a swimming load-velocity profile. Fourteen male national-level swimmers performed 50 m front crawl and semi-tethered swimming with three progressive loads. The 50 m performance was recorded with a multi-camera system, with which two-dimensional head displacement and the beginning of each arm-stroke motion were quantified.

Body roll amplitude and timing in backstroke swimming and their differences from front crawl at the same swimming intensities.

The current study investigated body roll amplitude and timing of its peak in backstroke and compared them with front crawl swimming. Nineteen anatomical landmarks were digitised using 80 swimming trial videos (ten swimmers × two techniques × four intensities) recorded by two above- and four below-water cameras. One upper-limb cycle was analysed for each trial, and shoulder and hip roll, whole-body roll (WBR), and WBR due to the buoyant torque (WBR) were obtained.

Race Analysis in Competitive Swimming: A Narrative Review.

Researchers have quantified swimming races for several decades to provide objective information on race strategy and characteristics. The purpose of the present review was to summarize knowledge established in the literature and current issues in swimming race analysis. A systematic search of the literature for the current narrative review was conducted in September 2020 using Web of Science, SPORTDiscus (via EBSCO), and PubMed.

Start and Turn Performances of Competitive Swimmers in Sprint Butterfly Swimming.

The purposes of this study were to establish relationships between selected underwater kinematics and the starting and turning performances and to quantify kinematic differences between these segments in sprint butterfly swimming. Fourteen male swimmers performed 50 m maximal butterfly swimming in a short course pre-calibrated pool. The entire race was filmed by a multi-camera system, which quantified the forward head displacement and velocity ( ) throughout the race with a sampling frequency of 50 Hz.