title: Effect of gender on the adaptation of arm coordination in front crawl.
abstract: The aim of this study was to compare the arm coordination of 14 elite men swimmers and 10 elite women swimmers at eight different velocities, from the usual 3000 m velocity to their maximal velocity (V (max)). Each stroke phase was identified by video analysis and the Index of Coordination (IdC) was established. Three modes of coordination have been identified: catch-up (IdC < 0); opposition (IdC = 0); and superposition (IdC > 0). This study shows that at a greater individually imposed swim pace (ISP) elite men spontaneously adapt by opposing their arms during sprint time (IdC = +2.57 +/- 6 % at Vmax), whereas elite women (IdC = -3.88 +/- 6.1 % at V (max)) adapt more slowly, remaining in catch-up coordination. Elite men favoured the increase of propulsive actions by increasing the propulsive phases (pull and push phases) and decreasing the entry + catch phase, even if the recovery phase increased. Elite women generated less propulsive actions during sprint, i. e. shorter push and pull phases and a longer entry + catch phase. The biomechanical constraints (effective velocity: EV) could explain that men switched coordination at high velocity (sprint), whilst the differences between men and women at a similar EV related more to their motor organisation than to biomechanical constraints. Anthropometric data could partially explain this difference between genders. Height (171.6 +/- 5.8 cm vs. 185.5 +/- 4.2 cm) and arm span (177.12 +/- 6.24 cm vs. 192.75 +/- 1.83 cm) were smaller in women than in men. The women catch-up coordination was not a "worse coordination" when compared with that of men, but it reflected a different motor organisation resulting from different anthropometric properties and swimming technique. Therefore, catch-up coordination could be an individual response to different constraints.
authors.affiliation: C.E.T.A.P.S. Laboratory UPRES JE 2318: University of Rouen, Faculty of Sports Sciences, France. l.seifert@libertysurf.fr
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Seifert
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Boulesteix
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Chollet
mesh_terms: D000222:Adaptation, Physiological; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000886:Anthropometry; D001132:Arm / Q000502:physiology*; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009048:Motor Skills; D012737:Sex Factors; D013550:Swimming / Q000502:physiology*; D014743:Videotape Recording