Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 7, 2026
05:12
Swimming Performance Assessment in Fishes
Published on: May 20, 2011
26.0K
Eccentric flywheel post-activation potentiation influences swimming start performance kinetics.
Francisco Cuenca-Fernández1, Gracia López-Contreras1, Luis Mourão2,3
1a Physical Activity and Sports Department. Faculty of Sport Sciences , University of Granada , Granada , ( Spain.
Journal of Sports Sciences
|August 3, 2018
Summary
Post-activation potentiation (PAP) enhances vertical force during swim kick-starts, leading to greater take-off velocity. This training method can match peak performance achieved naturally.
Area of Science:
- Sports Science
- Biomechanics
- Swimming Performance
Background:
- Optimizing the swim kick-start is crucial for competitive swimming.
- Post-activation potentiation (PAP) is a physiological phenomenon that can enhance muscular performance.
- The application of PAP to swimming starts requires further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the impact of PAP on strength-related variables during the swimming kick-start.
- To compare the effectiveness of a PAP warm-up protocol against a standardized warm-up and peak natural performance.
Main Methods:
- Thirteen competitive swimmers participated in the study.
- Two warm-up conditions were compared: standardized warm-up (USUAL) and PAP (five eccentric flywheel repetitions).
- An instrumented starting block with triaxial force plates measured impulse and take-off variables.
Main Results:
- PAP warm-up significantly increased vertical force components compared to the USUAL warm-up.
- Take-off velocity was significantly higher following PAP compared to USUAL (4.32 m/s vs 3.93 m/s, p=0.02).
- No significant differences were found in force or velocity between PAP and PEAK (best natural performance).
Conclusions:
- PAP warm-up effectively enhances vertical force production in the swimming kick-start.
- The increased force translates to a higher resultant take-off velocity, comparable to peak natural performance.
- PAP represents a viable strategy to improve swimming start performance.
Related Concept Videos
01:10Kinetic and Potential Energy of a Wave
6.4K
All forms of waves carry energy; this is directly visualized in nature. For instance, the waves of earthquakes are so intense that they can shake huge concrete buildings, causing them to fall. Loud sounds can damage nerve cells in the inner ear, causing permanent hearing loss. The waves of the oceans can erode beaches.
In mechanical waves, the amount of energy is related to their amplitude and frequency. In the context of the above examples, large-amplitude earthquakes produce large...
In mechanical waves, the amount of energy is related to their amplitude and frequency. In the context of the above examples, large-amplitude earthquakes produce large...
6.4K
01:19Enzyme Kinetics
104.2K
Enzymes speed up reactions by lowering the activation energy of the reactants. The speed at which the enzyme turns reactants into products is called the rate of reaction. Several factors impact the rate of reaction, including the number of available reactants. Enzyme kinetics is the study of how an enzyme changes the rate of a reaction.
Scientists typically study enzyme kinetics with a fixed amount of enzyme in the controlled environment of a test tube. When more reactant, or substrate, is...
Scientists typically study enzyme kinetics with a fixed amount of enzyme in the controlled environment of a test tube. When more reactant, or substrate, is...
104.2K
01:16Eccentric Loading
999
Eccentric loading is a crucial concept in the study of structural engineering and mechanics, particularly when analyzing the stability and stress distribution in columns. Unlike centric loading, where the force is applied along the centroidal axis, causing uniform compression, eccentric loading occurs when a force is applied off-center. This off-center application introduces not only direct compressive stress but also bending stress, significantly influencing the column's behavior under...
999
01:27Eccentricity of an Ellipse
350
An ellipse is a fundamental conic section defined by the constant sum of distances from any point on its curve to two fixed points, known as the foci. This geometric property can be physically demonstrated using a pencil, string, and two pins. By anchoring the string at both ends and maintaining it taut with a pencil, one can trace the outline of an ellipse.The shape and extent of the ellipse are determined by its eccentricity, e, defined as the ratio of the distance between the center and a...
350
01:12General Case of Eccentric Axial Loading
526
Unsymmetrical bending occurs when the bending moment applied to a structural member does not align with its principal axis. This misalignment leads to complex stress distributions and deflection patterns that differ from symmetrical bending, which are essential for designing structures to withstand different loading conditions.
Consider a member subjected to equal and opposite forces that are applied along a line that does not coincide with the member's neutral axis. In unsymmetrical...
Consider a member subjected to equal and opposite forces that are applied along a line that does not coincide with the member's neutral axis. In unsymmetrical...
526
01:10Thermodynamics: Chemical Potential and Activity
1.7K
The effective concentration of a species in a solution can be expressed precisely in terms of its activity. Activity considers the effect of electrolytes present in the vicinity of the species of interest and depends on the ionic strength of the solution. The activity of a species is expressed as the product of molar concentration and the activity coefficient of the species.
The thermodynamic equilibrium constant is more accurately defined in terms of activity rather than concentration.
The thermodynamic equilibrium constant is more accurately defined in terms of activity rather than concentration.
1.7K