Specific and Holistic Predictors of Sprint Front Crawl Swimming Performance

Abstract

The aim of the study was to examine the impact of selected water- and dry-land predictors of 50-m front crawl performance among 27 male swimmers aged 19.3 ± 2.67 years. The following water tests were performed: front crawl tethered arm stroking in a water flume (flow velocity: 0.9 m·s–1) and leg tethered flutter kicking in a swimming pool. Anaerobic tests on dry land included arm cranking and a set of 10 countermovement jumps. The maximal and average forces generated by legs in tethered swimming (Fl max and Fl ave) turned out to be the strongest predictors of sprint swimming aptitude. These values were strongly correlated with total speed (Vtotal50) (r = 0.49, p < 0.05 and r = 0.54, p < 0.01, respectively), start, turn, and finishing speed (VSTF) (r = 0.60, p < 0.01 and r = 0.67, p < 0.01, respectively). The relationship of Fl max and Fl ave with surface speed (Vsurface) was moderate (r = 0.33, non-significant and r = 0.41, p < 0.05, respectively). The maximal force generated by arms (Fa max) during flume tethered swimming significantly influenced Vsurface and Vtotal50 (0.51, p < 0.01 and 0.47, p < 0.05, respectively). Its relationship with VSTF was close to significant (0.36, p = 0.07). Upper and lower limb dry-land tests showed lower and more holistic relationships with the 50-m front crawl race, however, being a good complement to overall fitness assessment. Specific in-water evaluation, especially the newly prepared flutter kicking test, as well as dry-land tests, can be applied to regularly monitor progress in swimming training, and to identify talented swimmers.

Correlations between Crawl Kinematics and Speed with Morphologic, Functional, and Anaerobic Parameters in Competitive Swimmers

“…The video picture recordings and the arrangement of the cameras, followed by picture analysis and the calculation of the basic kinematics, were performed analogically to the previous one [25], but in this study, a swimming distance twice as long was taken into account.…”

From dry-land to the water: training and testing practices of strength and conditioning coaches in high level French sprint swimmers

“…Includes training but also a testing part [i.e., evaluating swimmers via dynamic parameters both in dryland and in water conditions (9)]. In this study, we developed a specific survey that addressed these issues and that included specific topics such as specificity of the strokes, strength workout modalities, limbs differentiation that may affect differently the dry-land to in situ transfer (39).…”