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Published on: January 28, 2020
Individually timed upper-limb post-activation performance enhancement improves 50 m front crawl performance in
Arkadiusz Stanula1, Wojciech Sadowski1, Wojciech Rejdych1
1Institute of Sport Sciences, Academy of Physical Education, Katowice, Poland.
Scientific Reports
|June 24, 2026
Summary
Individually timed upper-limb post-activation performance enhancement (PAPE) significantly improved 50m front crawl times in national swimmers. This PAPE strategy enhanced specific race segments, not overall swimming efficiency.
Area of Science:
- Sports Science
- Exercise Physiology
- Swimming Performance
Background:
- Post-activation performance enhancement (PAPE) is an acute strategy to boost sprint performance.
- Evidence for PAPE in swimming is inconsistent, especially regarding upper-limb protocols and race segment outcomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the acute effects of an individually timed upper-limb PAPE protocol on 50m front crawl performance.
- To analyze the impact of PAPE on specific race-kinematic variables in national-level male swimmers.
Main Methods:
- Fifteen national-level male swimmers participated in a randomized crossover study with control (CON) and PAPE conditions.
- The PAPE protocol involved 3 sets of 6 repetitions of a specific double-arm pull exercise at 70% 1RM, followed by a 50m maximal swim trial after individual recovery.
- Primary outcome was 50m race time (T50); secondary outcomes included start, split, turn, and lap-specific kinematic variables.
Main Results:
- The PAPE condition led to significantly faster T50 times compared to CON (-0.260s, -1.01%, p < 0.001).
- Improvements were noted in T15, T20, dive distance, flight time, turn time, and second-length stroke rate.
- No significant changes were observed in lap-specific swimming velocity, stroke length, or stroke index.
Conclusions:
- An individually timed upper-limb PAPE procedure can enhance 50m front crawl performance in elite male swimmers.
- The performance benefits are primarily observed in specific race segments, rather than a uniform improvement in free-swimming efficiency.
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