The hierarchical organization of arm stroke in a 400-m freestyle swimming race

Abstract

Purpose. Arm stroke is a key variable of successful performance in front crawl swimming. In the present study, the effects of the arm stroke on the front crawl swimming performance were analysed by considering the complementarity of macroconsistency and micro-variability in the arm stroke as a hierarchically organized adaptive system. In this case, consistency is necessary to achieve outcomes reliably, and variability is fundamental for coping with environmental instability. Methods. Displacements of swimmers (n = 31) who competed in the 400-m freestyle race of the Paulista Master championship were captured in 4 moments (partial races 1-4). From the aerial and aquatic phases of the left and right arm strokes, macrostructure (components' relative timing) and microstructure (components' overall time) had their variability rates cal cu lated for all partial races on the basis of the biological coefficients of variation. Results. It was revealed that swimmers: (i) increased consistency of macrostructure related to the left arm aerial phase stroke in the final race; (ii) maintained consistency of microstructure across races; and (iii) presented macrostructure with inferior rate of variability to the microstructure in the final race. Conclusions. Given these results, coaches should emphasize instruction for swimmers to maintain the temporal relationship among arm stroke components (macrostructure) rather than focus on the components themselves (microstructure).

The study of motor skills under a view of hierarchical organisation of open system

“…At an inferior hierarchical level, arm stroke, considered a component in the previous research, was focused as a whole system (Freudenheim et al, 2021). Specifically, the effects of arm stroke on the front crawl performance were investigated by considering it as a hierarchically organised system.…”

“…The interaction of arm stroke, leg stroke and breathing that make up the components of front crawl swimming (macrostructure) vary less than each one separately (microstructure), mainly during a low swim speed (Oliveira et al, 2009). The increase of consistency of an arm stroke's macrostructure over a swimming race as well as its maintenance at a level that is lower than microstructure in the final of a race was essential to successful performance (Freudenheim et al, 2021). The improvement in golf-putting performance occurs through altering the macrostructure and microstructure, regardless of the practice schedule, but the latter needs to be extensive to the point of leading the macrostructure to acquire a consistency that is superior to that of the microstructure (Souza & Correˆa, 2020).…”

“…The increase of consistency of an arm stroke’s macrostructure over a swimming race as well as its maintenance at a level that is lower than microstructure in the final of a race was essential to successful performance (Freudenheim et al, 2021).…”

The macro- and micro-adaptations in the football teams

“…The main advantage of adopting a hierarchically organised open system conception for studying the sport of football refers to the possibility of identifying the different ways in which adaptation takes place 4,16 . In the last few years, studies have been developed under this hierarchically organised open system conception to understand adaptation in different sports, such as swimming 19 , golf 20 , and futsal 4 . Regarding the latter, evidence showed that the game develops as an adaptive process through micro and macro reorganisation by both teams.…”

“…1 -Mi 1(8,38); Ma 2 -Mi 1 vs. Ma 2 -Mi 2 (47); Ma 5 -Mi 7 vs. Ma 7 -Mi 8 (43, 68); Ma 5 -Mi 7 vs. Ma 7 -Mi 9 (54, 62); Ma 6 -Mi 6 vs. Ma 7 -Mi 8(6,25); Ma 1 -Mi 1 vs. Ma 1 -Mi 7 (61); Ma 2 -Mi 2 vs. Ma 3 -Mi 6 (80); Ma 2 -Mi 5 vs. Ma 2 -Mi 2(7,16,22, 46); Ma 5 -Mi 5 vs. Ma 6 -Mi 8 (21); Ma 5 -Mi 7 vs. Ma 6 -Mi 8 (3, 12); Ma 5 -Mi 7 vs. Ma 6 -Mi 9 (56); Ma 6 -Mi 5 vs. Ma 2 -Mi 2(19,32); Ma 6 -Mi 5 vs. Ma 7 -Mi 2 (14); Ma 6 -Mi 5 vs. Ma 2 -Mi 10 (59); Ma 6 -Mi 6 vs. Ma 2 -Mi 2 (11); Ma 6 -Mi 6 vs. Ma 2 -Mi 10 (79); Ma 6 -Mi 6 vs. Ma 7 -Mi 10 (76, 85); Ma 2 -Mi 7 vs. Ma 6 -Mi 9 (71); Ma 3 -Mi 2 vs. Ma 6 -Mi3 (50) …”