Arm Propulsion in Front Crawl Stroke

Area of Science:

• Biomechanics of swimming
• Sports science
• Fluid dynamics in human motion

Background:

• Understanding the propulsive forces in swimming is crucial for performance enhancement.
• Previous research has focused on hand propulsion, with less emphasis on the forearm's contribution.
• Dynamic balance between drag and propulsive power is key to optimizing swimming technique.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the propulsive force and effective arm area in crawl swimming.
• To analyze the dynamic balance (power balance) between drag and propulsive power.
• To investigate the contribution of upper limbs to overall swimming performance.

Main Methods:

• Ten male swimmers performed crawl trials at a constant velocity using only upper limbs.
• Spectro instrument used to measure drag forces.
• 3D video analysis captured upper limb kinematics.

Main Results:

• Power balance was confirmed using Bland-Altman estimation and ANOVA, showing no statistical differences.
• Effective propulsive area was estimated by applying the power balance.
• An ~8.5% increase in effective propulsive area was observed, attributed to forearm contribution.

Conclusions:

• The study provides a method to monitor propulsive force and power in swimmers.
• Insights into arm movement and swimming technique can be gained.
• Enhanced understanding of technique can help reduce elbow and shoulder micro-traumas.