Essential performance-determining factors in front crawl swimming can be analysed within a biomechanical framework, in reference to the physiological basis of performance. These factors include: active drag forces, effective propulsive forces, propelling efficiency and power output. The success of a swimmer is determined by the ability to generate propulsive force, while reducing the resistance to forward motion. Although for a given competitive stroke a range of optimal stroking styles may be expected across a sample of swimmers, a common element of technique related to a high performance level is the use of complex sculling motions of the hands to generate especially lift forces. By changing the orientation of the hand the propulsive force acting on the hand is aimed successfully in the direction of motion. Furthermore, the swimming velocity (v) is related to drag (A), power input (Pi, the rate of energy liberation via the aerobic/anaerobic metabolism), the gross efficiency (eg), propelling efficiency (ep), and power output (Po) according to: [formula; see text] Based on the research available at present it is concluded that: (a) drag in groups of elite swimmers homogeneous with respect to swimming technique is determined by anthropometric dimensions; (b) total mechanical power output (Po) is important since improvement in performance is related to increased Po. Furthermore, it shows dramatic changes with training and possibly reflects the size of the 'swimming engine'; (c) propelling efficiency seems to be important since it is much higher in elite swimmers (61%) than in triathletes (44%); and (d) distance per stroke gives a fairly good indication of propelling efficiency and may be used to evaluate individual progress in technical ability.

Biomechanics of competitive front crawl swimming.

Power equations in endurance sports

An analysis of the mechanics and energetics of swimming reveals that different factors play key roles in success in competitive swimming events. Knowledge of these performance factors will help the development of optimal training programmes, especially when their relative importance can be identified. One approach to doing this is to evaluate the energy cost of swimming and the energy generating systems that cover these costs. It appears that the rate of energy expenditure is related to the velocity, the gross efficiency, the propelling efficiency and a drag factor. Energy is generated by aerobic and anaerobic processes. A balance should exist between the energy necessary to swim a distance in a certain time and the total energy available in this time from the energy producing system. This balance was used to predict the performance times over difference distances and to predict the effect of a 10% increase in the aerobic capacity, the anaerobic capacity or the propelling efficiency on the performance times, while keeping all other factors constant. The 10% increase in propelling efficiency resulted in both a reduction in time over the short distance as well as an improvement in performance over the long distance which was superior to the gains found when increasing the maximal aerobic or anaerobic power by 10%. It is concluded that for an optimal use of training time and for an optimal use of the capacities of the swimmer, it seems important to determine both the mechanical parameters (technique, drag) and the parameters describing the energy production. By determining the weak and strong points of competitive swimmers, the optimal training distances and what performance factors are the weakest and most likely to improve with training can be determined.

Energetics of competitive swimming. Implications for training programmes.

In competitive swimming, world-level performances require years of hard training. Training that isdevoted to improvement of determinants of performance like technique and coordination, strengthand aerobic capacity. It may be argued that training-time will be especially efficient when devotedto the enhancement of those performance factors that are weak links in the performance chain. Thatis, they represent the phase of the process where the performance system first becomes insufficient.These are known as limiting or determining factors, because they are the first to reduce, and hencedetermine, performance (

Biomechanics of Swimming

Five elite speed skaters and fourteen well trained skaters of a lower performance level performed three maximal tests: a 3,000 m race from which the skating position and the stroke frequency were derived, an oxygen consumption test both during skating and during a bicycle ergometer test. From all subjects anthropometric measures were taken. The elite group showed a 
$$\dot V$$

 o2 during cycling of 64.4±3.5 ml·kg−1·min−1 and 59.4±3.7 ml·kg−1·min−1 during skating. The elite skaters showed: a shorter upper leg length with respect to total leg length, higher aerobic power during cycling, higher stroke frequency, smaller pre-extension knee angle coupled to higher work per stroke, higher “efficiency” during skating and higher external power during skating and during cycling when compared with the group of lower performance level. It is concluded that an important pre-requisite for speed skating appears to be the possibility to skate at a small pre-extension knee angle without an excessive claim to anaerobic metabolism.

Some technical, physiological and anthropometrical aspects of speed skating.

The purpose of this study was to consider which characteristics are related to a high velocity in water during swimming. The study was performed on 13 of the best competition swimmers of the region of Lyon (France). The collected data were:$\dot V_{O_2 } $ max, measured during leg-work ($\dot V_{O_2 } $ max LW), during arm-work ($\dot V_{O_2 } $ max AW), and the hydrodynamic resistances measured when the swimmers were towed at the speed of 1.80 m/sec. The cardiac output was measured for four of the subjects. The swimmers were characterized by a mean$\dot V_{O_2 } $ max LW of 56 ml/kg/min and by a high value of the ratio$\frac{{\dot V_{O_2 } \max {\text{ }}AW}}{{\dot V_{O_2 } \max {\text{ }}LW}}$ which reached 99% for three of them. There was a very high correlation (r = 0.90 and 0.91) between the mean speed calculated from the best performances in competition swims of 400 m and 1500 m and a value which is thought to express the aerobic energy available to the swimmer:

$$\dot V_{O_2 } \max water:\dot V_{O_2 } \max {\text{ }}AW + \frac{{\dot V_{O_2 } \max {\text{ }}LW - \dot V_{O_2 } \max {\text{ }}AW}}{6}$$

R. Flandrois

Papers

Experimental study of the performance of competition swimmers.