The Effect of Post-Activation Potentiation on Swimming Starts in Adolescent Swimmers

Background: Post-activation potentiation (PAP) is a phenomenon in which there is an increase in induced momentum in sporting activities after muscle contractions. In swimming, the start of the race and the increase in speed in its first few meters are important. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of the PAP protocol, which included a simulated body weight start on the ground, on the swimming start and on the 25 m freestyle performance. Methods: The study included 14 male and 14 female swimmers, 14.9 ± 0.6 years old. All the swimmers performed three maximal attempts of 25 m freestyle swimming from the starting block on three different days in a randomly counterbalanced order. In each session, swimmers performed either a 25 m freestyle without any intervention before the swimming trial (CG), or performed four vertical simulated ground starts at maximal effort, 15 s before (15 sG) or 8 min before (8 minG) the swimming trial. The jump height, entry distance, flight time, and flight speed for each attempt were calculated. Results: The CG entry distance was significantly longer than that of the 15 sG and 8 minG (3.39 ± 0.20 vs. 3.31 ± 0.21 and 3.25 ± 0.25 m, respectively, p < 0.001). Conclusions: Four simulated swim starts on the ground, 15 s or 8 min before the swim sprint, had no positive effect on the swim start or swim performance, and it is up to the swimmer to perform these jumps.

[1]  Afif Rusdiawan,et al.  Kinematics analysis of freestyle swimming athletes at the 2019 Indonesia Open Aquatic Championship (IOAC) , 2021, Jurnal SPORTIF : Jurnal Penelitian Pembelajaran.

[2]  Nebojša Trajković,et al.  Concurrent Validity and Reliability of My Jump 2 App for Measuring Vertical Jump Height in Recreationally Active Adults , 2020, Applied Sciences.

[3]  I. Mujika,et al.  Effect of Tethered Swimming as Postactivation Potentiation on Swimming Performance and Technical, Hemophysiological, and Psychophysiological Variables in Adolescent Swimmers. , 2020, International journal of sports physiology and performance.

[4]  D. Marinho,et al.  Arm-pull thrust in human swimming and the effect of post-activation potentiation , 2020, Scientific Reports.

[5]  T. Barbosa,et al.  Human thrust in aquatic environment: The effect of post-activation potentiation on flutter kick , 2019, Journal of advanced research.

[6]  D. Pyne,et al.  Elite sprint swimming performance is enhanced by completion of additional warm-up activities , 2017, Journal of sports sciences.

[7]  T. Comyns,et al.  The Application of Postactivation Potentiation Methods to Improve Sprint Speed , 2017 .

[8]  K. Sparks,et al.  Postactivation Potentiation Enhances Swim Performance in Collegiate Swimmers , 2015, Journal of strength and conditioning research.

[9]  A. Greenhalgh,et al.  Effect of Postactivation Potentiation on Fifty-Meter Freestyle in National Swimmers , 2015, Journal of strength and conditioning research.

[10]  Francisco Cuenca-Fernández,et al.  Effect on Swimming Start Performance of Two Types of Activation Protocols: Lunge and YoYo Squat , 2015, Journal of strength and conditioning research.

[11]  F. Arabatzi,et al.  The post-activation potentiation effect on squat jump performance: age and sex effect. , 2014, Pediatric exercise science.

[12]  Daniel A. Marinho,et al.  Warm-Up and Performance in Competitive Swimming , 2014, Sports Medicine.

[13]  P. Gomes,et al.  The effects of rest intervals on jumping performance: A meta-analysis on post-activation potentiation studies , 2013, Journal of sports sciences.

[14]  C. Cook,et al.  Effect of Postactivation Potentiation on Swimming Starts in International Sprint Swimmers , 2011, Journal of strength and conditioning research.

[15]  Brian Blanksby,et al.  Jumping Ability and Swimming Grab-Start Performance in Elite and Recreational Swimmers , 2007 .

[16]  Tyler J. Kirby,et al.  Effect Of Squat Depth On Vertical Jump Performance Variables , 2010 .

[17]  D. Bishop,et al.  Factors Modulating Post-Activation Potentiation and its Effect on Performance of Subsequent Explosive Activities , 2009, Sports medicine.

[18]  D. Docherty,et al.  Post-Activation Potentiation , 2005, Sports medicine.

[19]  Bruce Mason,et al.  SWIM START PERFORMANCES AT THE SYDNEY 2000 OLYMPIC GAMES , 2001 .

[20]  G. Borg Psychophysical bases of perceived exertion. , 1982, Medicine and science in sports and exercise.

[21]  C. Cooke,et al.  Manuscript Title: the Effects of Postactivation Potentiation on Sprint and Jump Performance of Male Academy Soccer Players the Effects of Postactivation Potentiation on Sprint and Jump Performance of Male Academy Soccer Players , 2022 .