title: Tethered swimming can be used to evaluate force contribution for short-distance swimming performance.
abstract: The purpose of this study was two-fold: (a) to compare stroke and the physiological responses between maximal tethered and free front crawl swimming and (b) to evaluate the contribution of force exertion for swimming performance over short distances. A total of 34 male swimmers, representing various levels of competitive performance, participated in this study. Each participant was tested in both a 30-second maximal tethered swimming test and a 50-m free swimming test. The tethered force parameters, the swimming speed, stroke (stroke rate [SR]), and the physiological responses (increase in blood lactate concentration [ΔBLa], heart rate, and rate of perceived exertion) were recorded and calculated. The results showed no differences in stroke and the physiological responses between tethered and free swimming, with a high level of agreement for the SR and ΔBLa. A strong correlation was obtained between the maximum impulse of force per stroke and the speed (r = 0.91; p < 0.001). Multiple regression analysis revealed that the maximum impulse and SR in the tethered condition explained 84% of the free swimming performance. The relationship between the swimming speed and maximum force tended to be nonlinear, whereas linear relationships were observed with the maximum impulse. This study demonstrates that tethered swimming does not significantly alter stroke and the physiological responses compared with free swimming, and that the maximum impulse per stroke should be used to evaluate the balance between force and the ability to effectively apply force during sprint swimming. Consequently, coaches can rely on tethered forces to identify strength deficits and improve swimming performance over short distances.
authors.affiliation: 1Center for Rapid and Sustainable Product Development, Polytechnic Institute of Leiria, Leiria, Portugal; 2Research Center in Sports, Health and Human Development, Covilhã, Portugal; 3Department of Sport Sciences, University of Beira Interior, Covilhã, Portugal; 4Finnish Society of Sport Sciences, Helsinki, Finland; and 5Department of Sports and Informatics, University of Pablo de Olavide, Seville, Spain.
authors.forename: Pedro G
authors.initials: PG
authors.lastname: Morouço
authors.forename: Daniel A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Marinho
authors.forename: Kari L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Keskinen
authors.forename: Juan J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Badillo
authors.forename: Mário C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Marques
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D054874:Athletic Performance / Q000502:physiology*; D005080:Exercise Test; D006339:Heart Rate; D006801:Humans; D019344:Lactic Acid / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D005082:Physical Exertion / Q000502:physiology*; D011897:Random Allocation; D013550:Swimming / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D019344:Lactic Acid