Repeatability and application of tethered swimming tests for recreational swimmers

Abstract Tethered swimming tests are applied to evaluate propulsive forces in crawl stroke and may also be used to evaluate force applied by the movement of lower (leg kicking) and upper limbs (arm stroke). Considering the large number of recreational swimmers, this tool may be useful for coaches to evaluate the technique and force production by swimmers. As little attention has been paid to the application of these tests with recreational swimmers, the aims of this study were to verify the repeatability of the tethered swimming test for arm stroke, leg kicking and crawl stroke and to verify the relationship between performance in a 50-m test and in the tethered test with recreational swimmers. In this case, repeatability was defined as the agreement between the results of two successive evaluations. Ten male swimmers performed two 30-s maximal intensity tethered swimming tests with leg kicking, arm stroke and crawl stroke and three 50-m crawl stroke tests. Repeatability was found for mean force of all tests and for impulse evaluated in crawl stroke. Inverse relationship of the time to complete 50 m with the maximum and mean forces and with the impulse in the crawl stroke and an inverse relationship between time to complete 50 m and the mean force in the leg kicking were observed. Therefore, results from full tethered swimming tests applied with recreational swimmers may help swimming coaches.摘要 束缚式游泳测试（tethered swimming test）常用于评估爬泳（crawl stroke）的推进力，亦可用于评估下肢（打腿，leg kicking）与上肢（划水，arm stroke）运动所产生的作用力。鉴于休闲游泳爱好者群体规模庞大，该测试工具或可助力游泳教练评估运动员的技术动作与发力表现。由于目前针对休闲游泳爱好者开展此类测试的研究相对匮乏，本研究旨在验证束缚式游泳测试在划水、打腿及爬泳项目中的重复性，并探究休闲游泳爱好者50米测试成绩与束缚式游泳测试结果之间的相关性。此处的重复性定义为两次连续评估结果的一致性。本研究招募10名男性游泳运动员，先后完成两次各30秒的最大强度束缚式游泳测试，测试类型分别为打腿、划水及爬泳，同时完成三次50米爬泳测试。结果表明，所有测试的平均力以及爬泳测试的冲量均具有良好重复性。研究观察到，50米游完时长与爬泳测试中的最大力、平均力及冲量呈负相关，同时50米游完时长与打腿测试的平均力亦呈负相关。综上，针对休闲游泳爱好者开展的完整束缚式游泳测试结果，或可为游泳教练提供有价值的参考依据。