Effects of post-activation potentiation induced by parachute swimming on swimming technique and performance in 50 meters front crawl race

• Grant number: 20/03445-7
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: January 01, 2021
• End date: December 31, 2021
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Physical Education
• Principal Investigator: Leonardo Coelho Rabello de Lima
• Grantee: Santiago Soares Bufalo
• Host Institution: Instituto de Biociências (IB). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Rio Claro. Rio Claro , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Powerful muscle actions can be potentiated following pre-conditioning exercise consisting of near-maximal contractions. The ensuing enhancement in explosive actions is termed post-activation potentiation (PAP). In swimming, the race that relies the most on powerful muscle actions is the 50-meter front crawl. The aim of the present study is to investigate the impact of a warm-up protocol consisting of swimming attached to a parachute in 50-meter front crawl performance. Fifteen regional level swimmers who can complete the 50-meter front crawl in 28 seconds will participate in the study. Participants will perform two different warm-up protocols (control and PAP) in separate days prior to a 50-meter front crawl effort in a randomized fashion. The control warm-up will consist of swimming 800 meters at self-selected low-intensity speed followed by 4 maximal 10s efforts. The PAP warm-up will consist of swimming 800 meters at self-selected low-intensity speed followed by a 2-minute rest and 4 maximal 10s efforts with a parachute attached to their waists interspersed by 1-minute rests. Performance in 50-meter front crawl swimming will be assessed six minutes following the end of both warm-up protocols. Time-to-completion and partial 25-meter times will be assessed as well as swimming technique (stroke frequency and coordination index), which will be determined using over- and underwater filming of the 50-meter front crawl races. Differences in the dependent variables between conditions will be compared using Student's t tests. Significance levels will be set as p < 0.05. (AU)