The Power Output and Sprinting Performance of Young Swimmers

Abstract

The aim of this article was to compare swimming power output between boys and girls and to model the relationship between swimming power output and sprinting performance in young swimmers. One hundred young swimmers (49 boys and 51 girls, aged between 11 and 13 years) underwent a test battery including anthropometrics (body mass, height, arm span [AS], and trunk transverse surface area), kinematic and efficiency (velocity, stroke frequency, stroke length, speed fluctuation, normalized speed fluctuation, stroke index, and Froude efficiency), hydrodynamics (active drag and active drag coefficient), and power output (power to overcome drag, power to transfer kinetic energy to water, and external power) assessments and sprinting performance (official 100 freestyle race). All variables but the trunk transverse surface area, stroke length normalize to AS, speed fluctuation, active drag coefficient, and Froude efficiency were significantly higher in boys than in girls with moderate-strong effects. Comparing both sexes but controlling the effect of the sprinting performance, most variables presented a no-significant variation. There was a significant and strong relationship between power output and sprinting performance: y = 24.179x (R = 0.426; standard error of estimation = 0.485; p < 0.001). As a conclusion, boys presented better performances than girls because of their higher power output. There is a cubed relationship between power output and sprinting performance in young swimmers.

Untitled

“…Although the body mass and height measurements for the 12-year-old swimmers in the studies by Cochrane et al (2015) and Ricardo (2011) were higher than those found in our study, the mass and height results in two other studies are consistent with our findings (Barbosa et al, 2015;Geladas et al, 2005;Marinho et al, 2009). However, the BFR measurements for the male swimmers in the current study was lower than that of a similar age group in the study by Cochrane et al (2015).…”

“…Although performance and success in elite swimmers depend on various factors, physical parameters (i.e., body height, body mass and somatotype characteristics) are also determinants of swimming performance. In previous studies, physical properties, anthropometric characteristics and some of the strength parameters of swimmers were identified (Cochrane et al, 2015;Richardson, Beerman, Heiss, 2000), and the correlations between these parameters and swimming performance were investigated (Barbosa, Morais, Marques, Costa, & Marinho, 2015;Girold, Calmels, Maurin, Milhau, & Chatard, 2006;Kukolj, Ropret, Ugarkovic, & Jaric, 1999). Critical swimming speed (V crit ) is typically used as a determinant of swimming performance in the literature (Wakayoshi et al, 1992).…”

Modelling the relationship between biomechanics and performance of young sprinting swimmers

“…Anthropometrics, hydrodynamics, kinematics and efficiency are highly related to young swimmers' performance (Barbosa et al, 2015;Morais et al, 2012;Strzala et al, 2015). Anthropometric features are strongly related to technical parameters (i.e.…”

Effects of Dry-Land Strength and Conditioning Programs in Age Group Swimmers

“…Yet, the S&C training design should be specific for the requirements of the concerned sport. In swimming, performance is highly dependent on strength and muscular power (5,11,14,21), being the ability to exert force in the water a decisive factor, specifically in short distances (18,25). Consequently, swimming coaches traditionally apply dry-land S&C programs in their training sessions (1,3,9,23) even if consensus on the specific benefits to a swimmer's performance has not yet been clarified in literature (11,23,27,33).…”