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Understanding upper limbs in-water force in young swimmers with Statistical Parametric Mapping analysis
Catarina C Santos1, Jesús J Ruiz-Navarro2, Diogo Martinho3
1Department of Sport Sciences, Exercise and Health, University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro (UTAD), Vila Real, Portugal; Higher Education School, Polytechnic of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.
Journal of Biomechanics
|July 2, 2025
Summary
Top-tier swimmers generate higher in-water forces during front crawl swimming compared to lower-tier swimmers. Statistical Parametric Mapping (SPM) reveals performance differences across the underwater stroke cycle for both dominant and non-dominant upper limbs.
Area of Science:
- Sports Science
- Biomechanics
- Swimming Performance Analysis
Background:
- Understanding in-water forces is crucial for optimizing swimming technique and performance.
- Previous research has explored force application in swimming, but detailed analysis across performance tiers and limbs is less common.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare in-water upper limb forces between different performance tiers (low-tier vs. top-tier) in young swimmers.
- To analyze differences in force application between dominant and non-dominant upper limbs within the same performance tier.
- To investigate the utility of continuous (Statistical Parametric Mapping) and discrete analyses for assessing in-water forces.
Main Methods:
- Fifty-two young swimmers (12.13 ± 0.71 years) were categorized into Tier-1 (low-tier) and Tier-2 (top-tier) based on mean speed.
- In-water upper limb forces were measured using a differential pressure system with hand sensors during 25m front crawl swims.
- Force-time data were analyzed using discrete metrics and continuous analysis via Statistical Parametric Mapping (SPM).
Main Results:
- Top-tier swimmers generated significantly greater mean peak in-water forces (approx. 61 N) compared to low-tier swimmers (approx. 51 N).
- SPM analysis identified significant force differences between 64-74% of the stroke cycle for the dominant upper limb and 60-90% for the non-dominant upper limb.
- No significant differences in overall in-water force were found between dominant and non-dominant upper limbs within performance tiers (p > 0.05).
Conclusions:
- Young swimmers within the same age group exhibit variations in upper limb in-water force application during front crawl.
- Performance level is associated with differences in the magnitude of in-water forces generated.
- SPM analysis offers valuable insights into the temporal and spatial characteristics of force application throughout the swimming stroke cycle.
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