Strength Training on Land and Its Impact on Swimming Times

Zusammenfassung der Studie

The aim of the study is to compare the effects of four different strength training methods and determine which method most improves swimming performance. The training programs replace the participants' regular strength training without requiring additional time commitment. The study follows a cohort design, where participants are monitored over 16 weeks each. The four interventions are conducted sequentially. Additionally, there is a control group, where these participants do not engage in strength training. Participants can decide whether they want to participate in one of the four interventions or the control group. This design allows for a targeted investigation of the effects of each training program on swimming performance.

(BASEC)

Untersuchte Intervention

Intervention 1 – Isolated exercises:

Swimmers will perform isolated single joint exercises for the upper body, lower body, and core, including biceps curl, arm extension (triceps), butterfly, reverse fly, shrugs, toe-to-bar, back extension, leg extension, leg curl, and calf raises.

The Foster scale will be used after each exercise to assess the athlete’s perceived effort. This scale provides feedback on the intensity of training and ranges from 0 to 10, where 0 indicates no effort and 10 signifies maximal effort.

Intervention 2 – Multi-joint exercises:

Swimmers will perform multi-joint exercises for the upper body, lower body, and core, including deadlift, pull-up, barbell rowing, push-up, and bench press.

The Foster scale will be used after each exercise to assess the athlete’s perceived effort. This scale provides feedback on the intensity of training and ranges from 0 to 10, where 0 indicates no effort and 10 signifies maximal effort.

Intervention 3 – On-land sprinting:

Sprint training on land will replace the core and leg exercises of intervention 2. Upper body training will be comparable to multi-joint exercises of intervention 2. The time-under-tension will be comparable to deadlifts (in intervention 2), which serve as the control group. Sprinting distance will be less than 30 meters, as in the acceleration phase, front and back muscles of the legs are used.

The Foster scale will be used after each exercise to assess the athlete’s perceived effort. This scale provides feedback on the intensity of training and ranges from 0 to 10, where 0 indicates no effort and 10 signifies maximal effort.

Intervention 4 – Apparatus gymnastics:

Apparatus gymnastics exercises, including handstand walking, forward and backward saltos, ring exercises, and parallel bars exercises, will be selected. These exercises are very complex and dynamic, engaging all muscle groups through extreme multi-joint movements. The time under tension for this intervention will be comparable to deadlifts, as utilized in intervention 2, which serves as the control group. This approach ensures that the training load and intensity are effectively aligned.

The Foster scale will be used after each exercise to assess the athlete’s perceived effort. This scale provides feedback on the intensity of training and ranges from 0 to 10, where 0 indicates no effort and 10 signifies maximal effort.

Control group:

Swimmers in the control group will not participate in any land-based strength training. They will continue their regular swimming training regimen without modifications.

(BASEC)

Untersuchte Krankheit(en)

In competitive swimming, strength, speed, and endurance are crucial for success. Even slight performance improvements, such as 1%, can determine whether one qualifies for a final or achieves a podium finish. Strength training plays a central role, as it not only improves athletic performance but also contributes to injury prevention. However, it is still unclear which specific strength training methods most effectively promote these improvements and how well the strength gains from land training transfer to swimming performance in the water. The goal of our study is to compare the effects of four different strength training methods to find out which method most improves swimming times. The four training programs replace the usual strength training, so participants do not incur any additional time commitment. Our study employs a cohort design. This means that we will accompany a group of participants (cohort) over a specific period to capture how the four training interventions affect their swimming performance. Participants can decide which programs they wish to participate in. The four interventions are conducted sequentially, with each intervention lasting 16 weeks. This design allows for a targeted examination of the effects of individual interventions on swimming performance.

(BASEC)

Sponsor

Swiss Federal Institute of Sport Magglingen (SFISM)

(BASEC)

Name der bewilligenden Ethikkommission (bei multizentrischen Studien nur die Leitkommission)

Ethikkommission Bern

(BASEC)

Datum der Bewilligung durch die Ethikkommission

08.04.2025

(BASEC)

Ergebnisse der Studie