Sprint Performance in Arms-Only Front Crawl Swimming Is Strongly Associated With the Power-To-Drag Ratio.

Area of Science:

• Sports Science
• Biomechanics
• Human Movement

Background:

• Optimal swimming propulsion research often relies on physical or computational models.
• Real-life swimming dynamics, particularly for arm-driven strokes, require further investigation.
• Understanding factors influencing sprint performance in competitive swimmers is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the influence of power, technique, and anthropometric measures on sprint performance in arms-only front crawl swimming.
• To identify the primary predictors of maximal swimming speed in this specific swimming condition.
• To differentiate the impact of combined power-to-drag ratio versus isolated variables.

Main Methods:

• Twenty-five male competitive swimmers performed 25-m sprint trials, recorded via video analysis.
• Technique variables (stroke width, horizontal acceleration) and anthropometric data (height, hand area) were measured.
• Active drag was assessed using a custom MAD system, allowing calculation of power output and drag coefficient.

Main Results:

• The power-to-drag ratio was the sole significant predictor of maximal swimming speed (v = 0.86·power/drag).
• This ratio explained 65% of the variance in swimming performance.
• Isolated power variables, anthropometric measures, and technique variables did not significantly predict sprint speed.

Conclusions:

• Sprint performance in arms-only front crawl swimming is predominantly determined by the power-to-drag ratio.
• Focusing on optimizing this ratio may be more effective than targeting isolated power or technique elements.
• This finding highlights the importance of the interplay between propulsive force and resistance in swimming efficiency.