Arm coordination symmetry and breathing effect in front crawl

Area of Science:

• Sports Science
• Biomechanics
• Motor Control

Background:

• Front crawl swimming involves complex coordination between arms and breathing.
• Expertise level significantly influences swimming technique and efficiency.
• Understanding motor laterality and breathing patterns is crucial for optimizing performance.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the relationships among arm coordination symmetry, motor laterality, and breathing laterality in front crawl swimmers.
• To investigate how these relationships vary across different expertise levels (elite, mid-level, non-expert).
• To identify how breathing actions affect arm coordination asymmetry.

Main Methods:

• Video analysis of a 100-m front crawl to measure the index of coordination (IdC) between arms.
• Categorization of coordination modes: catch-up (IdC<0%), opposition (IdC=0%), and superposition (IdC>0%).
• Assessment of motor laterality using an adapted Edinburgh Handedness Inventory and breathing laterality via questionnaire and observation.

Main Results:

• Most swimmers exhibited asymmetric arm coordination, often linked to breathing laterality and arm dominance.
• Non-expert swimmers' breathing actions amplified their asymmetric coordination on the breathing side.
• Elite swimmers demonstrated higher, more stable spatial-temporal parameters and managed asymmetric coordination effectively, unaffected by breathing.

Conclusions:

• Arm coordination asymmetry in front crawl is influenced by motor and breathing laterality.
• Breathing actions can exacerbate coordination asymmetry, particularly in less experienced swimmers.
• Identifying a swimmer's dominant arm and preferred breathing side can inform coaching strategies to address excessive coordination asymmetry.