The Impact of Assisted Swimming on Front Crawl Performance

Abstract

Background: In the present study, we aimed to clarify the impact of the Assisted swim (A-swim; towing from propulsion direction) on front crawl performance at maximum and sub-maximum effort levels. Methods: Fourteen male collegiate swimmers (age, 21.0 ± 2.0 years; height, 1.73 ± 0.05 m; weight, 67.1 ± 7.1 kg) participated. Participants swam 25-m front crawl at maximal (Max) and submaximal intensity (Submax (80% of the max stroke rate (SR))) with and without an assist (assisted swimming with a towing device and normal swim (N-swim) without the device) for a total of four lengths. In addition to swim velocity (V), SR, and stroke length (SL), one stroke cycle was broken down into four phases—glide, pull, push, and recovery—and analyzed the duration of each phase. Results: A significant interaction of level of efforts and presence/absence of towing was confirmed in V, SR, and SL. V and SL showed a significant increase in A-swim compared to N-swim at both Max and Submax. SR was significantly higher in A-swim than in N-swim only at Max. Each phase of stroke showed a significant difference in recovery at Submax and push at Max. Conclusions: Despite considering the impact of propulsion from towing, A-swim increased SR, in addition to the V and SL, of swimmers compared with N-swim.