Swimming constraints and arm coordination

Seifert, Ludovic; Chollet, Didier; Rouard, Annie

doi:10.1016/j.humov.2006.09.003

Cited by 93 publications

(103 citation statements)

References 27 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…To assess the inter-arm coordination in front crawl swimming, Chollet, Chalies, and Chatard (2000) developed an index of coordination (IdC) which quantifies the lag time between the propulsive actions of the two arms. When the swimming speed increased from slow to fast paces, SR increased while SL decreased, and IdC increased to reflect a shift from catch-up (lag time between the propulsions) to a relative superposition (overlap of the propulsions) coordination mode (Chollet et al, 2000;Seifert, Chollet, & Rouard, 2007). Expert swimmers reached 5 greater v, which could be ascribed to their greater SL and propulsive continuity (greater IdC) than less expert swimmers, both during speed incremental tests (Chollet et al, 2000;Seifert, Chollet, & Rouard, 2007) and 100-m races (Seifert, Chollet, & Chatard, 2007).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…When the swimming speed increased from slow to fast paces, SR increased while SL decreased, and IdC increased to reflect a shift from catch-up (lag time between the propulsions) to a relative superposition (overlap of the propulsions) coordination mode (Chollet et al, 2000;Seifert, Chollet, & Rouard, 2007). Expert swimmers reached 5 greater v, which could be ascribed to their greater SL and propulsive continuity (greater IdC) than less expert swimmers, both during speed incremental tests (Chollet et al, 2000;Seifert, Chollet, & Rouard, 2007) and 100-m races (Seifert, Chollet, & Chatard, 2007). A study on the effect of fatigue on stroking characteristics revealed that fatigue development induced an increase in SR and IdC to compensate for the reduced capacity to generate a propulsive impulse per stroke.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The change in arm coordination allowed a better chain of the propulsive actions and led to more time allotted to propulsion per distance unit. Such motor adaptation ensured that the overall propulsive impulse remained constant, whereas average propulsive force per arm stroke was reduced (Alberty, Sidney, Pelayo, & Toussaint, 2009 ) and SR (0.83 Hz) (Potdevin et al, 2003;Seifert, Chollet, & Rouard, 2007), superposition coordination was the main motor solution observed. For expert swimmers, the changes in inter-limb coordination appeared efficient because IVV did not increase over eight trials of 25-m at increasing speed (Schnitzler, Seifert, Ernwein, & Chollet, 2008).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Arm coordination, power, and swim efficiency in national and regional front crawl swimmers

Seifert

Toussaint

Alberty

et al. 2010

Human Movement Science

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The effects of skill level on index of arm coordination (IdC), mechanical power output (P d ), and swim efficiency were studied in front crawlers swimming at different speeds. Seven national and seven regional swimmers performed an arms-only intermittent graded speed test on the MAD-system and in a free condition. The MAD-system measured the drag (D) and P d . Swimming speed (v), stroke rate (SR), stroke length (SL), stroke index (SI), relative entry, pull, push, and recovery phase durations, and IdC were calculated. Swim efficiency was assessed from SI, the coefficient of variation of calculated hip intracyclic velocity variations (IVV), and the efficiency of propulsion generation, i.e., the ratio of v² to tangential hand speed squared (u²). Both groups increased propulsive continuity (IdC) and hand speed (u) and applied greater P d to overcome active drag with speed increases (p < .05). This motor organization adaptation was adequate because SI, IVV, and v²/u² were unchanged. National swimmers appeared more efficient, with greater propulsive continuity (IdC) and P d to reach higher v than regional swimmers (p < .05). The regional swimmers exhibited a higher u and lower SI, IVV, and v²/u² compared to national swimmers (p < .05), which revealed lower effectiveness to generate propulsion, suggesting that technique is a major determinant of swimming performance.

show abstract

mentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Arm coordination, power, and swim efficiency in national and regional front crawl swimmers

Seifert

Toussaint

Alberty

et al. 2010

Human Movement Science

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…An increase in velocity may be associated with reduced medio-lateral amplitude of the swimming path to produce the best propulsion in minimum time. Testing the impact of swimming speed (from low to maximal) on coordination patterns revealed that the catch-up mode of coordination disappeared near 1.8 m/s (pace for 200-m), with a superposition or opposition mode emerging [92,93]. Swimmers' strategies are dependent on velocity: at low paces, they favour movement patterns that reduce hydrodynamic resistances; conversely, at sprint pace, they want to diminish the time between the successive propulsive arms actions (i.e.…”

Section: Circular Coupling Between a Swimmer's Behaviour And Fluid Dymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This example illustrates how swimmers must attune and calibrate to new information that emerges from changes in an aquatic performance environment in order to utilise affordances that specify action [19]. There are many different types of constraints that might be manipulated to assess impacts on motor behaviours that swimmers adopt during performance, as highlighted by Seifert et al [45,93].…”

Section: Circular Coupling Between a Swimmer's Behaviour And Fluid Dymentioning

confidence: 99%

Individual–Environment Interactions in Swimming: The Smallest Unit for Analysing the Emergence of Coordination Dynamics in Performance?

et al. 2017

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Displacement in competitive swimming is highly dependent on fluid characteristics, since athletes use these properties to propel themselves. It is essential for sport scientists and practitioners to clearly identify the interactions that emerge between each individual swimmer and properties of an aquatic environment. Traditionally, the two protagonists in these interactions have been studied separately. Determining the impact of each swimmer's movements on fluid flow, and vice versa, is a major challenge. Classic biomechanical research approaches have focused on swimmers' actions, decomposing stroke characteristics for analysis, without exploring perturbations to fluid flows. Conversely, fluid mechanics research has sought to record fluid behaviours, isolated from the constraints of competitive swimming environments (e.g. analyses in two-dimensions, fluid flows passively studied on mannequins or robot effectors). With improvements in technology, however, recent investigations have focused on the emergent circular couplings between swimmers' movements and fluid dynamics. Here, we provide insights into concepts and tools that can explain these on-going dynamical interactions in competitive swimming within the theoretical framework of ecological dynamics. 3 Key points Swimming movements are characterised by continuous interactions between individuals and the aquatic environment: water is essential to progression, yet it also acts as a brake on swimmers' displacement.  Ecological dynamics is a theoretical framework that provides concepts and tools to investigate the continuous coupling of performers and the performance environment in swimming, providing an indivisible entity for analysis.  Key ideas in ecological dynamics (constraints and affordances) are highlighted to help coaches to design representative practice contexts for athletes that simulate competitive performance environments in swimming.4

show abstract

Relationship between decreased swimming velocity and muscle activity during 200-m front crawl

et al. 2012

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The aims of this study were (1) to evaluate changes in muscle activity associated with physiological fatigue and decreased swimming velocity (SV) during 200 m of front crawl swimming, and (2) to examine the relationship between the decreased SV and changes in kinematic or electromyogram parameters. Twenty swimmers participated in a 4 × 50-m swim test. The surface EMG of 11 muscles (7 in the upper limbs and 4 in the lower limbs) was measured and the mean amplitude value (MAV) for one stroke cycle was obtained. The SV and arm angular velocity (AAV) of shoulder flexion during the first (early stroke) and second (late stroke) half of the underwater arm stroke were analyzed using an underwater camera. The AAV, the MAV of flexor carpi ulnaris (FCU), biceps brachii (BB), and triceps brachii during the early stroke, and the MAV of rectus femoris decreased along with a decrease in SV. In contrast, the MAV of the pectoralis major (PM) increased significantly in the final 50 m. The rate of change in MAVs (ΔMAVs) of FCU, BB and latissimus dorsi during the early stroke, and ΔMAV of biceps femoris were significantly correlated with ΔSV and/or ΔAAV. Positive correlations were identified between ΔMAVs of several muscles. However, no negative correlations were observed between ΔMAVs. These results suggest that the decrease in SV was related to decreases in the activities of several muscles that coordinated with each other, and that a compensating strategy occurred between PM and other muscles in the final 50 m.

show abstract

Swimming constraints and arm coordination

Cited by 93 publications

References 27 publications

Arm coordination, power, and swim efficiency in national and regional front crawl swimmers

Arm coordination, power, and swim efficiency in national and regional front crawl swimmers

Individual–Environment Interactions in Swimming: The Smallest Unit for Analysing the Emergence of Coordination Dynamics in Performance?

Relationship between decreased swimming velocity and muscle activity during 200-m front crawl

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About