Artistic Swimming Research Articles

Olimpismo: The Olympic Movement in the Making of Latin America and the Caribbean

Olimpismo: The Olympic Movement in the Making of Latin America and the Caribbean

Creative Togetherness. A Joint-Methods Analysis of Collaborative Artistic Performance.

In the present study, we combined first-, second-, and third-person levels of analysis to explore the feeling of being and acting together in the context of collaborative artistic performance. Following participation in an international competition held in Czech Republic in 2018, a team of ten artistic swimmers took part in the study. First, a self-assessment instrument was administered to rate the different aspects of togetherness emerging from their collective activity; second, interviews based on video recordings of their performance were conducted individually with all team members; and third, the performance was evaluated by external artistic swimming experts. By combining these levels of analysis in different ways, we explore how changes in togetherness and lived experience in individual behavior may shape, disrupt, and (re-)stabilize joint performance. Our findings suggest that the experience of being and acting together is transient and changing, often alternating phases of decrease and increase in felt togetherness that can be consistently recognized by swimmers and external raters.

Cardiac Remodeling in Elite Aquatic Sport Athletes.

To characterize and compare the sport-specific cardiac structure of elite swimmers (SW), water polo players (WP), and artistic swimmers (AS). A cross-sectional assessment of elite aquatic athletes' hearts. The athletes' village at the 2019 FINA World Championships. Ninety athletes from swimming (SW) (20 M/17 F), water polo (WP) (21 M/9 F), and artistic swimming (AS) (23 F). An echocardiographic assessment of cardiac structure was performed on noncompetition days. Male SW displayed primarily eccentric volume-driven remodeling, whereas male WP had a greater incidence of pressure-driven concentric geometry (SW = 5%, WP = 25%) with elevated relative wall-thickness (RWT) (SW = 0.35 ± 0.04, WP = 0.44 ± 0.08, P < 0.001). Female SW and WP hearts were similar with primarily eccentric-remodeling, but SW and WP had greater concentricity index than artistic swimmers (SW = 6.74 ± 1.45 g/(mL)2/3, WP = 6.80 ± 1.24 g/(mL)2/3, AS = 5.52 ± 1.08 g/(mL)2/3, P = 0.007). AS had normal geometry, but with increased posterior-wall specific RWT (SW = 0.32 ± 0.05, AS = 0.42 ± 0.11, P = 0.004) and greater left atrial area than SW (SW = 9.7 ± 0.9 cm2/m2, AS = 11.0 ± 1.1 cm2/m2, P = 0.003). All females had greater incidence of left ventricular (LV) posterior/septal wall-thickness ≥11 mm than typically reported (SW = 24%, WP = 11%, AS = 17%). Male athletes presented classic sport-specific differentiation, with SW demonstrating primarily volume-driven eccentric remodelling, and WP with greater concentric geometry indicative of pressure-driven remodeling. Female SW and WP did not display this divergence, likely because of sex-differences in adaptation. AS had unique LV-specific adaptations suggesting elevated pressure under low-volume conditions. The overall incidence of elevated wall-thickness in female athletes may point to an aquatic specific pressure-stress.

Возрастные особенности телосложения спортсменок, специализирующихся в синхронном плавании

Material and methods. The sample of 50 people consisted of female athletes of three age groups: junior (9-10 years old), senior (14-15 years old) and the Russian national team (over 18 years old). In this cross-sectional study, we used total body dimensions (according to V.V. Bunak), body mass components (ac-cording to J. Matiegka’s formulas and bioimpedance method), body proportions (according to P.N. Bashkirov’s method), body shape (by somatoscopy), somatotype (by the Heath-Carter and Shtefko-Ostrovsky) and biological age (by dental and sexual maturity). Results. In terms of physical development, artistic swimmers (girls) do not differ significantly from their peers who do not go in for sports. The body height of the national team athletes is higher than the average values for their gender, and the body weight is lower. Under the influence of training loads in young artistic swimmers, there is a slight decrease in the fat component and an increase in the muscle one. Russian elite artistic swimmers have a lower level of development of adipositythan athletes of the national teams of Ko-rea and Spain. The muscular component of the Russian artistic swimmers may indicate overwork. The analy-sis of the variability of body proportions of artistic swimmers of different age groups testifies to the target-ed selection to the national team in the terms of longitudinal body dimensions. At the present stage of development of artistic swimming, the selection of retardant athletes is taking place. It was revealed that somatotypes with significant mesomorphism prevail in younger and older age groups, while the athletes of the national team belong to the ectomorphic body type with various variations of two other components of the somatotype. Conclusion. The study of morphological indicators made it possible to form an idea of the importance of the somatotype and body proportions for artistic swimming, which, in the combination with other necessary qualities, will increase the efficiency of selection and control of the training process.

Classification and Assessing Methods of the Complexity of “Group A” Acrobatic Exercises in Artistic Swimming

Article purpose – to classify acrobatic movements of group A “airborne” (jumps) and identify the main components that affect their technical value. According to research, acrobatic movements of group A “airborne” – (in the air) – are not divided into subgroups but differ (classified) by the variety of construction, the direction of the jump, the position of the featured swimmer’s body in the air (posture) and the type and number of rotation demonstrated by the featured-swimmer in the air. The first criteria of difficulty was defined as “Construction” – is a generalized name for collaborated work of all athletes according to their assigned role in the acrobatic movement (base+ support+ featured swimmer), and it is also the name of a “formation” from which the acrobatic moves of group A “airborne” begins. Depending on the complexity and efficiency of the design, was is classified into four levels. The fourth level of construction – a “square” (basket), is defined as the most difficult and highly effective. The main components that affect the technical value of the component “Construction” were defined. The second criterion of difficulty, respectively, and technical value, was the directions of the jumps. Five directions of jumps are classified. The most difficult, and rated at 0,4 points, is the jump “in the opposite direction”. The next evaluation criterion was how the acrobatic movement is performed in the air. All positions are divided into four groups (considering flexibility and additional factors). An important criterion for assessing the technical value of acrobatic exercise is the number of rotations and the plane in which the rotation is performed in the air. Rotations are classified into 4 types: "twists", "somersaults", "side flips" and "two-dimensional rotations". The technical value of rotation depends on each additional 180 degrees rotation and increases with 0,2 for each 360 to prevent disbalance in the general classification. So, the rotation of 180 ° is estimated at 0,1 point, 360 ° – 0,3 points, 540 ° – 0,5 points, 720 ° – 0,7 points, 900 – 0,9 ° points. To get total technical value of the acrobatic movement, all components’ numbers should be summarized. Technical value varies between all acrobatic movements in this group depending on which coach would choose different components of the acrobatic movements. The developed system allows the creation of any combination (“set”) of the components, so it doesn’t ruin the creativity of routine in artistic swimming, which is one of the main ideas of this sport. Based on the developed method of calculating the technical value of acrobatic movements, a single table of technical value of acrobatic exercises “group A” was created – in the air, where acrobatic moves were distributed from easiest to most accessible most difficult according to the calculated technical value.

Relationship between the colors of goggles and shoulder muscle strength in swimmers

Biography: Obtained a doctor of medicine on the theme of verifying the effect of therapeutic exercise in osteoarthritis. Rio Olympic games Artistic Swimming Japan national team trainer. I am interested in improvement of physical performance in swimming and cognitive science applied to sports. Background: Almost all studies on color reveal its effects on calculation tasks and work efficiency, and there are few fundamental studies on individual sports performance. Recently, some reports have indicated that unconsciously processed visual information affects the performance of sports. In this study, we focused on muscle exertion, which is directly related to sports performance, and studied the effect of different colors of goggles on muscle exertion of the upper limbs. Methods: Sixty-eight collegiate swimmers (mean age 19.4 ± 1.0 years) were recruited. Written informed consent was obtained from all participants. Subjects were made to randomly wear four differently colored goggles (red, blue, green, and transparent), and the upper limb muscle strength was measured using a hand-held dynamometer. The upper limb muscle strength was measured while lying down on a bed on the ground, and the maximum isometric muscle strength at the catch position, push position, and finish position were measured based on the phase separation of pull motions during swimming. SPSS was used for statistical processing, and the significance level was set at 5%. Results: The muscle strength of the catch position, push position, and finish position with the red goggles was 20.7 ± 5.8 kgf, 20.5 ± 6.2 kgf, and 11.7 ± 2.9 kgf, respectively. Similarly, muscle strength with the blue, green and transparent goggles was 20.5 ± 6.0 kgf, 20.5 ± 5.6 kgf, and 11.6 ± 3.1 kgf; 20.7 ± 5.8 kgf, 21.0 ± 6.0 kgf, and 11.4 ± 3.0 kgf ; and 20.6 ± 6.1 kgf, 20.4 ± 6.0 kgf, and 11.5 ± 3.1 kgf, respectively. Statistical analysis showed significant difference in the muscle strength between green goggles and transparent goggles at the push position (p < 0.05). However, there was no significant difference in the other colors or positions. Discussion: Several studies have reported that the color of uniforms affects the winning rate and performance in sports (Hopkin, 2005). Red color has been found to be advantageous, possibly because it increases the fighting spirit associated with the secretion of testosterone. In this study, it was not possible to prove that red is a best color for muscular exertion. However, this study suggests that the color of goggles has some influence on muscular exertion in a specific limb position. Further studies are needed to study the effects of colors on hormones, autonomic nerves, and brain activity. Conflicts of interest: This work was supported by JSPS KAKENHI Grant Numbers 19K11496.

Study of frequency and type of adverse analytical findings in the different disciplines of aquatics.

We aimed to analyze the number and distribution of doping control tests in which a banned substance was reported (i.e., adverse analytical finding) in aquatics. The analysis was performed by using the data provided by the WADA Testing Figure Reports from 2015 to 2019. A total of 79,956 doping control tests were analyzed. Sprint swimming, middle-distance swimming and water polo were the disciplines with the highest number of doping control tests. However, there were no differences in the frequency of adverse findings among disciplines (overall, ∼0.56%, from 0.13in artistic swimming to 0.76% in sprint swimming). Sprinters and long-distance swimmers presented a higher frequency of beta-2-agonists than the remaining aquatic disciplines (p<0.05). These results indicate that the type of prohibited substances employed is strongly influenced by the intrinsic characteristics of each aquatic discipline.

Beneath the Surface: Mental Health and Harassment and Abuse of Athletes Participating in the FINA (Aquatics) World Championships, 2019.

To assess the mental health and experience of sport-related harassment and abuse of elite aquatic athletes and to analyze it in relation to gender and discipline. Cross-sectional study using an anonymous survey. The FINA World Championships 2019. Registered athletes in the disciplines of swimming, diving, high diving, water polo, artistic swimming, and open water swimming. Athletes completed an online or paper-based questionnaire. The main outcome measures included screening for depression (10-item version of the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale revised), eating disorders (Brief Eating Disorders in Athletes Questionnaire), the subjective need for psychotherapeutic support, and the experience of sport-related harassment and/or abuse. A quarter (24.6%) of the 377 responding athletes were classified as depressed and 2.5% as having an eating disorder. More than 40% of the athletes stated that they wanted or needed psychotherapeutic support. Fifty-one athletes (14.9%) had experienced harassment/abuse in sport themselves, and 31 (9%) had witnessed it in another athlete. The experiences of harassment and abuse ranged from unwanted comments about body or appearance (40.2%) to rewards in sport for sexual favors (2.5%) and rape (0.3%). Athletes who had experienced harassment/abuse in sport themselves had higher average scores for depression and eating disorders, and more of them felt they needed psychotherapeutic support. Up to a third would not talk or report to anybody if they saw or experienced harassment/abuse, and less than 20% would talk to an official for help. Targeted initiatives are required to address mental health issues and harassment and abuse in sport in the FINA aquatic disciplines.

Substantiation of Methods for Predicting Success in Artistic Swimming.

To develop a methodology for predicting success in artistic swimming based on a set of morphofunctional indicators and indices, 30 schoolgirls, average age (12.00 ± 0.22), were divided into two groups. Group 1: 15 athletes, training experience 4–5 years. Group 2: 15 schoolgirls without training experience. For each participant, we determined the length and weight of the body, the circumference of the chest, vital lung capacity, and the circumference of the biceps in a tense and at rest. The Erisman index, biceps index, and the ratio of proper and actual vital lung capacity was calculated. Them, we conducted the Stange and Genchi hypoxic tests, and flexibility tests for “Split”, “Crab position”, and “Forward bend”. Prediction was conducted using the Wald test with the calculation of predictive coefficients and their informativeness. A predictive table containing results of functional tests and indices of artistic swimming athletes is developed. It includes nine criteria, which informativeness varied in the range of 395.70–31.98. The content of the prediction consists of evaluating the results, determining the appropriate predictive coefficient, and summing these coefficients before reaching one of the predictive thresholds. The conducted research allowed us to substantiate and develop a method for predicting the success of female athletes with the use of morphofunctional indicators and indices.

COMEN CUP COMPETITION POINTS ANALYSIS OF ARIANA FIGURE IN ARTISTIC SWIMMING

The aim of this study is to examine the athlete performance of Ariana, one of the obligatory figures in artistic swimming COMEN competitions, in terms of year and age. It is important to analyze the competition results of the athletes according to years, age groups, individual development and countries. For the figure performance points of the athletes, the official COMEN Mediterranean Artistic Swimming Cup competition results were checked. Within the scope of the research, the competitions held in 2014 – 2019 were examined. The performances of the same athletes competing in different years and the countries with regular participation are listed for evaluation. Ariana point averages of these countries were calculated according to general and years. One Way ANOVA and Wilcoxon Signed Ranks tests were used for statistical analysis. There was a significant difference between the groups when comparing the Ariana artistic swimming figure by years (p&lt;0.01). As a result of comparing the years with each other, it was found that there was a difference between 2017 and other years (p&lt;0.01). The results of the competition were compared by dividing them into 13, 14 and 15 age groups. There was a significant difference between these age groups (p&lt;0.01). Ariana point averages and total mean and standard deviation values of 9 countries that participated continuously in 2014-2019 were determined. When the Ariana figure points of the same athletes were divided into 13-14, 14-15 and 13-15 age groups, it was understood that there were significant differences between the groups (p&lt;0.01). As the age of the athletes increases, the increase in Ariana figure points shows a significant difference. This situation is also present in the points of the same athletes in different age groups. The points of Bulgaria, France, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Russia, Spain, Switzerland and Turkey, which participated continuously in the years covering the research, are decisive for the competition ranking and the estimation of the Ariana figure points. The average point according to the year of the competition and the average point of the countries that regularly participate have been made suitable for planning for the development of athletes. With the study we prepared, it was possible to make figure point plans in determining the performance development goals of artistic swimmers.&#x0D; &#x0D; &lt;p&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt; Article visualizations:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src="/-counters-/edu_01/0820/a.php" alt="Hit counter" /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

Sink or swim: innovations in aquatic health.

Since the first modern Olympic Games in 1896, the aquatic sports have expanded both in participation and innovation over the last century. Beginning with swimming, diving, water polo, and later additions of artistic swimming, open water swimming and high diving, the aquatics sports represent a core pillar of Olympic disciplines. The rapid expansion of aquatic disciplines necessitated the foundation of the Fédération Internationale de Natation (FINA) in 1908, to govern the development of aquatic sports. The amateur spectacle has been slowly replaced with an increased focus on health and performance by dedicated professional athletes and support teams, resulting in the development of new innovations. In the early years, innovations largely centered on technical equipment such as bathing suit and springboard design. In more recent years, research and innovation have shifted focus to health and its impact on performance, including but not limited to changes in training methods, nutrition, injury and illness reduction through surveillance and access to education for athletes, coaches, and support personnel. An increased awareness on factors that affect athlete health have also driven safety innovations including the development of Nutrition and Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport Clinical Assessment Tool, the Sport Mental Health Assessment and Recognition Tools and safeguarding from harassment and abuse through embedding athletes' right to safe sport in underpinning statutory documents. While the future of aquatic health innovations remains undefined, there are many potential opportunities for research and knowledge translation as the aquatic sports continue to evolve and adapt over time.

Personality traits and competitive preferences of artistic swimming athletes

Personality traits and competitive preferences of artistic swimming athletes

Jumping rope and whole-body vibration program effects on bone values in Olympic artistic swimmers.

Artistic swimming seems not to benefit bone development like other out-of-water physical activities. To increase bone acquisition, artistic swimming should combine water training with weight-bearing impact or strength activities. Artistic swimmers can be a population at risk of developing osteopenia and osteoporosis in later life. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effects of a training program on bone mineral density (BMD), bone mineral content (BMC) and body composition in an Olympic artistic swimming team. Sixteen women aged 17-21years, who train 30h/week, at the Olympic Training Centre (Barcelona, Spain), were followed up over two seasons. The 1st season involved regular artistic swimming training without specific training to reduce the risk of osteopenia. The exercise intervention, jumping rope and whole-body vibration, was added in the 2nd season. The protocol included 20min of training 2days per week, over a 22-week period. Dual energy x-ray absorptiometry measured the bone variables and body composition. The daily diet, medical history and bone turnover markers were evaluated. The intervention program increased BMD on lumbar spine (2.10%, p = 0.002), total hip (2.07%, p = 0.001), and femoral neck (2.39%, p = 0.02). Lower limb's fat mass decreased (10.17%, p = 0.038). No significant differences were found for any of the measured anthropometric characteristics between both time points in the 1st season. In conclusions, combined jump rope and vibration should be considered to reduce the risk of bone damage in artistic swimmers.

WHICH FACTORS ARE INFLUENCING ARTISTIC SWIMMING PERFORMANCE?

Rhythmic ability (RA) plays an important role in sports in which music accompaniment is used, such as artistic swimming (AS). The aim of the present study was to investigate RA's relationship with the athletes’ overall performance in AS, as well as the independent scores of AS performance (i.e., Execution, Artistic Impression and Difficulty), taking into account their competitive category and experience. The sample consisted of 47 female artistic swimmers (age 15.8±3.3 years; athletic experience 6.6±3.3 years) divided into three competitive categories (Senior, Junior, and Comen). The High/Scope Rhythmic Competence Αnalysis Τest (Weikart, 1989) was used for the evaluation of RA of participants. Three official AS judges were used to assess athletes’ performance in the water routine session. Descriptive and inferential (i.e., two MANCOVAs) statistical analysis revealed that experience was a significant positive predictor of AS Performance and RA, indicating that as experience increased, athletes’ AS performance and RA also increased. In addition, results showed that athletes in the senior category scored higher in all variables in relation to junior and comen athletes; however, these differences were not statistically significant.&#x0D; &#x0D; &lt;p&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt; Article visualizations:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src="/-counters-/edu_01/0782/a.php" alt="Hit counter" /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

Coaching style, sport enjoyment, and intent to continue participation among artistic swimmers

Using situational leadership models, the current study examined direct and indirect relationships between coaching styles (i.e., democratic and autocratic) and athletes’ intent to continue participation via enjoyment in the sport of artistic swimming. Data were collected using an online survey with a snowball sampling method. A total of 202 artistic swimmers at the elite level from 22 countries participated in this study. The findings showed that participants who trained with democratic-style coaches reported higher levels of athletic enjoyment and intent to continue their athletic careers. There was no mediating effect of athletic enjoyment between coaching styles and intent to continue via athletic enjoyment; instead, the results revealed that the direct path between athletic enjoyment and intent to continue was not significant. However, the results supported the direct relationships between both coaching styles and athletic enjoyment and between autocratic coaching style and intent to continue an athletic career.

Caffeine ingestion improves specific artistic swimming tasks.

The main movements of artistic swimming demand various physical capacities such as flexibility, strength, power, and muscular endurance. The use of ergogenic resources to potentialize performance in this sport, however, is underexplored and deserves investigation. In the present study, we tested whether caffeine ingestion would improve the execution of movements that are essential in a typical figure competition or routines in artistic swimming (i.e., amplitude in the Ariana, height in the Boost and Barracuda, and time maintained in the Stationary Scull techniques). Sixteen experienced female athlete artistic swimmers (17.4±3.2 years of age, 5.6±2.8 years of artistic swimming practice) performed several movements of artistic swimming after having ingested a capsule containing caffeine (5 mg/kg body mass) or cellulose (placebo). Compared to the placebo, caffeine improved latero-lateral amplitude during the Ariana (P=0.035), the height of the Boost and Barracuda (P=0.028 and 0.009), and maintained duration in Stationary Sculling (P=0.012). Bayes factor analysis, however, indicated substantial evidence of a positive effect of caffeine only on the Barracuda and Stationary Scull techniques. These findings indicated that caffeine improved performance during specific artistic swimming movements. Coaches and athletes should consider caffeine ingestion in their supplementation plans.

Reliability in the evaluation of international and national judges in an artistic swimming routine

Abstract Artistic swimming (AS) is a sport evaluated by fifteen judges in routine sessions. The athletes' goal is to achieve proficient motor patterns according to pre-established criteria. The present studied analyzed whether there is difference between the two groups of AS judges with different levels of experience. The group of the International Swimming Federation - FINA (IG) evaluates AS at national and international level and the non-FINA group (NG) evaluates AS only at national level. Twenty experienced judges were divided into groups, 10 IG judges and 10 NG judges. Thus, judges evaluated the item execution of three routines with five required elements. Cronbach's alpha coefficient showed high internal consistency in IG (a= 0.85 in T1 and 0.83 in T2). In NG, internal consistency was observed in T1 and low consistency in T2 (a= 0.82 in T1 and 0.39 in T2). Evaluation analysis between IG and NG was significant (p?0.0330) and reliability analysis (bias: -0.1266 95% agreement limit: -1.642 to 1.388) showed consistency and high degree of confidence in results. The findings suggest that the item execution of required elements showed high objectivity regarding judges with different levels of experience, IG and NG, regardless of categorization and time of practice. FINA has changed the number of judges and the number of items evaluated in routine sessions. It is suggested that the reduction of items has contributed in a positive way so that judges can focus more on evaluation itself.

How an expert artistic swimming coach gives technical instructions:

How an expert artistic swimming coach gives technical instructions:

Development of a real time surface and under water image integrating system for Korea artistic swimming team

Development of a real time surface and under water image integrating system for Korea artistic swimming team

Relationship between VO 2max , under Water Swim Testing and Artistic Swim Solo Performance.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationship between: 1) laboratory-determined cycling peak oxygen consumption (VO 2max ) and AS performance in a new underwater swim test (UWST), and 2) cycling VO 2max and ventilatory threshold (VT) in cycling and performance score during a simulated AS solo routine. Trained artistic swimmers (n=15, 15.8±0.8 yrs., height: 169.1±5.4 cm, body mass: 57.1±6.3 kg) completed (1) a maximal incremental cycle test to exhaustion to determine VO 2max , (2) the UWST which comprised 275 m of freestyle and underwater breaststroke, and (3) a simulated solo competition where artistic swimming elements were evaluated by five FINA judges. There was a significant correlation between mean element score and (i) VO 2max (48±4 mL . kg . min −1 , r=0.44, p =0.05), and (ii) UWST (r=−0.64, p =0.005). However, there was an insignificant relationship between cycling ventilatory threshold and mean element score (r=–0.36, p =0.10). In addition, the results demonstrate a significant relationship between HR at the ventilatory threshold and peak HR of the UWST (r=–0.64, p =0.014). The results of this study demonstrate that VO 2max is an important determinant of AS performance. In addition, the UWST appears to be a useful indicator of AS performance.