Below you'll find a list of all posts that have been categorized as “Research Abstract”
Strength training and swimming have always been a debated topic. In fact, some argue that strength training and/or plyometrics are not beneficial for swimming performance. I personally performed a comprehensive strength training for swimming review and produced Dryland for Swimmers. However, new research is evolving and new research on how strength training improves swimming starts was recently published. Strength Training …
When the back plate was approved by FINA in 2009 many studies were performed to determine the benefits of using the back plate for a “kick start” (KS) versus a standard track start (TS). The majority of these studies concluded that the KS was superior in take off velocity, block time, flight time and time to 5 m – 15 m. Fewer …
There are many factors that contribute to the high prevalence of swimming shoulder pain. High repetitions of overhead activity, muscle imbalances, range of motion deficits, poor posture, poor stroke mechanics (and many more) are all thought to play a role. A recent article published in the Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies investigated the effect of fatigue on swimming shoulder mechanics …
Background Could it be possible that an aerobic based warm-up might be just as beneficial as an anaerobic based warm-up for sprint performance? While there is little evidence to support the inclusion of high-intensity, race-pace, warm-up before a 100-m swim, most coaches and swimmers feel that it is necessary. Aerobic and anaerobic systems each contribute approximately 50% to the overall …
The participation in the older groups of masters swimmers is only growing. What is more impressive is that older masters swimmers are swimming faster now than they ever have before. Along with all other strokes, the butterfly performance of masters swimmers continues to improve. Why have we seen a dramatic increase in the number of masters swimmers? What is contributing to …
What is the best way to predict sprint swimming performance? Many coaches rely on test sets, pace work, past performances, and mid-season taper meets. But is there another way? This study provides us with an alternative way to measure force and anaerobic capacity to predict sprint swimming performance. This proposed method is low-cost, easy to perform and can be done …
The Background Information: Drag in Swimming Have you ever wondered if there were small changes you could make in your stroke to improve performance? Or how finger, thumb or elbow position help change propulsion and drag in swimming? If you have, then a recent research article titled, “Effective Propulsion in Swimming: Grasping the Hydrodynamics of Hand and Arm Movements,” will …
Background on Hyperoxia Improves Swimming Performance Oxygen is essential for recovery and breathing more frequently is believed to improve endurance capacity. In swimming, repeated exercise bouts are typical performed in meets and practice requiring a lot of oxygen for recovery. Hyperoxia (respiration of air containing a higher partial pressure of oxygen than regular air) enhances the level of arterial hemoglobin saturation …
Below is an abstract of a potential swimming recovery strategy, foam rolling: Abstract: The Effects of Foam Rolling as a Recovery Tool in Professional Soccer Players. Foam rolling (FR) is a common strategy used after training and competition by players. However, no previous studies have assessed the effectiveness of FR as recovery tool in sports populations. The aim of this …
Even though dry-land strength and conditioning training is a common practice in the context of swimming, there are countless uncertainties over its effects in performance of age group swimmers. The objective was to investigate the effects of dry-land strength and conditioning programs in swimming performance of age group swimmers. A total of 21 male competitive swimmers (12.7 ± 0.7 years) …