title: Relationships Between Propulsion and Anthropometry in Paralympic Swimmers.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To characterize relationships between propulsion, anthropometry, and performance in Paralympic swimming.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional study of swimmers (13 male, 15 female) age 20.5 ± 4.4 y was conducted. Subject locomotor categorizations were no physical disability (n = 8, classes S13-S14) and low-severity (n = 11, classes S9-S10) or midseverity disability (n = 9, classes S6-S8). Full anthropometric profiles estimated muscle mass and body fat, a bilateral swim-bench ergometer quantified upper-body power production, and 100-m time trials quantified swimming performance.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Correlations between ergometer mean power and swimming performance increased with degree of physical disability (low-severity male r = .65, ± 0.56, and female r = .68, ± 0.64; midseverity, r = .87, ± 0.41, and r = .79, ± 0.75). The female midseverity group showed nearperfect (positive) relationships for taller swimmers' (with a greater muscle mass and longer arm span) swimming faster, while for female no- and low-severity-disability groups, greater muscle mass was associated with slower velocity (r = .78, ± 0.43, and r = .65, ± 0.66). This was supported with lighter females (with less frontal surface area) in the low-severity group being faster (r = .94, ± 0.24). In a gender contrast, low-severity males with less muscle mass (r = -.64, ± 0.56), high skinfolds (r = .78, ± 0.43), a longer arm span (r = .58, ± 0.60) or smaller frontal surface area (r = -.93, ± 0.19) were detrimental to swimming-velocity production.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Low-severity male and midseverity female Paralympic swimmers should be encouraged to develop muscle mass and upper-body power to enhance swimming performance. The generalized anthropometric measures appear to be a secondary consideration for coaches.
authors.affiliation: Performance Research Dept, Australian Inst of Sport, Canberra ACT, Australia.
authors.forename: Andrew A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Dingley
authors.forename: David B
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: Pyne
authors.forename: Brendan
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Burkett
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000886:Anthropometry; D001132:Arm / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D054874:Athletic Performance / Q000502:physiology*; D001823:Body Composition; D001827:Body Height; D015992:Body Mass Index; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D053580:Muscle Strength / Q000502:physiology; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D010264:Paraplegia / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012885:Skinfold Thickness; D013550:Swimming / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult