Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 21, 2026
05:51
Assessing the Accuracy of Fitness Smartwatch Data for Cardiovascular and Physical Activity Monitoring: A Validation Study in Digital Health
Published on: February 21, 2025
Technical performance analyses in elite Paralympic swimming using wearable technology: two case studies
Matthew Slopecki1,2, Mathieu Charbonneau2, Simon Deguire2,3
1Department of Kinesiology and Physical Education, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.
Sports Biomechanics
|May 22, 2025
Summary
Wearable technology provides key swim performance indicators. Adapted techniques, like high stroke rate (HSR) breaststroke and optimized freestyle breathing, improve swimming efficiency and race performance for athletes with specific conditions.
Area of Science:
- Sports Science
- Biomechanics
- Human Movement Analysis
Background:
- Optimizing swimming technique is crucial for competitive performance.
- Individualized feedback is essential for athletes with unique physical characteristics or impairments.
- Wearable technology offers novel methods for intra-stroke analysis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To demonstrate the utility of wearable technology in providing performance indicators for swim stroke optimization.
- To identify optimal technique modifications for athletes with Achondroplasia Dwarfism (breaststroke) and unilateral hand impairment (freestyle).
Main Methods:
- Case study approach analyzing two swimmers with distinct needs.
- Development and application of a novel 'velocity variation score' for breaststroke analysis.
- Assessment of forward velocity during different breathing strategies in freestyle swimming.
Main Results:
- Adapted breaststroke techniques, particularly high stroke rate (HSR), significantly reduced velocity variation (p < 0.001).
- Breathing to the unimpaired side in freestyle swimming resulted in higher forward velocity compared to breathing to the impaired side.
- Wearable-based analysis provided individualized technique recommendations.
Conclusions:
- Intra-stroke analysis using wearable technology can effectively guide technique improvements in swimming.
- Personalized recommendations derived from wearable data can enhance competitive race performance for swimmers with specific adaptations.
- This approach holds promise for broader application in sports performance enhancement.
