Performance of disabled swimmers in protocols or tests and competitions: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract

Biomechanical and coordination measurements are useful tools to assess swimming performance. Regarding Paralympic swimming, function and technique make these measurements complex. The aim of this study was to perform a systematic review of studies on biomechanics, coordination and performance in disabled swimmers following swimming protocols and in competitions. Data sources: PubMed, EMBASE, ISI Web of Knowledge, SPORTDiscus and Academic Search Premier. We selected complete studies, published until June 2018. Eighteen studies satisfied the inclusion criteria and were selected for qualitative analysis; nine of these were included in the meta-analysis. Swimming speed and stroke length increase with less impact of physical, visual and intellectual impairment on performing specific swimming tasks. Stroke rate is more stable all through the sport classes than both swimming speed and stroke length. Most physically disabled swimmers adopt the catch-up coordination model. Stroke rate is responsible for most of the intracycle velocity variation in swimmers with amputations or malformations of the upper limbs. No study was found on propulsive efficiency. Swimmers with disabilities should work more on stroke rate, with small decreases in stroke length to achieve higher swimming speeds, lower swim coordination index (more negative) and lower speed variations.

Modelling the age‐related trajectory of performance in Para swimmers with physical, vision and intellectual impairment

“…It is possible that Para swimmers with impairment progress differently to non‐disabled swimmers because of differences in training and performance characteristics, and the possibility that they commence training at older ages after acquiring impairment 2,23 . The variance in type and severity of eligible impairments in Para swimming also causes large differences in the training and performance characteristics between sport classes 2,24,25 . For example, Para athletes with high support needs experience challenges in accessing training facilities and appropriate coaching that might delay their progression in sport performance, 2,26 and the relative contribution of race segments to race distance is different for those with severe‐to‐moderate physical impairments (<S7) compared to Para swimmers in the higher sport classes 25 .…”

Kinematic, arm-stroke efficiency, coordination, and energetic parameters of the 400-m front-crawl test: A meta-analysis

“…However, some adaptations were made to better fit the focus of this research: (i) item 27 was not used for evaluating whether the negative findings from the study could be due to chance; (ii) replacement of “patient” by “participant” and “treatment” by “testing”. These changes in the assessment of the quality were also carried out in previous studies ( 24 , 27 , 28 ). The points obtained were totaled (fraction between the total number of points reached and total number of applicable points), followed by conversion into percentages, like previous study ( 24 ).…”

“…As the average speed in the 400-m front crawl test is similar to the minimum speed to reach the VO 2 max, the energy profile of this test deserves attention in relation to the possibilities of its use to prescribe training intensities, for example ( 20 ). Meta-analysis and systematic reviews are scarce in research concerning observational studies related to sport performance, and specifically swimming ( 23 , 24 ). Therefore, the purposes of this study were to summarize, analyse, and evaluate results of studies involving 400-m front crawl kinematic, arm-stroke efficiency, coordination, and energetic parameters, tthrough a systematic review with meta-analysis.…”

Effects of Capacitive-Resistive Electric Transfer on Sports Performance in Paralympic Swimmers: A Stopped Randomized Clinical Trial

“…Regarding sample size estimation the GRANMO statistical calculator was used. The standard deviation of swimmers with disabilities is 0.08 m/s of the speed of swimming in competition according to the meta-analysis carried by Feitosa WG et al [ 40 ]. A minimum difference 0.07 represents an improvement of more than 1 s in the total time in both distances, which was considered a significant improvement in a study conducted in 2017 [ 41 ], assuming an alpha error of 0.05, a power of 0.8 and a percentage of loss of 15%.…”