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Exploring the impact of breathing patterns on active drag in breaststroke swimming

Publication . Alves, Miriam; Barbosa, Tiago M.; Vilas-Boas, João Paulo

This study aimed to compare active drag (Da), coefficient of hydrodynamic force (CDa) and, total external mechanical power (Ptot) between two breathing patterns in breaststroke: breathing every stroke versus every two strokes. A 6-week intervention program was conducted. Fifteen swimmers carried out two all-out bouts of 25 m using the velocity perturbation method in each breathing pattern. The study analyzed the swimmers’ velocity (swimming freely and with the towed body), Da, CDa and Ptot. Individual data analysis revealed that 40 % of the sample experienced a decrease in Da when breathing every two strokes, with some achieving higher velocities. Conversely, nine swimmers exhibited lower Da values while breathing every stroke, with six of them also showing higher velocity values compared to breathing every two strokes. When comparing the pooled sample using paired t-tests, no differences were found in Da, CDa and, Ptot between the two breathing patterns. Furthermore, using ANCOVA analysis, results indicated that neither sex nor swimming velocity influenced the variables studied.

2024Journal article

Open access

Variability of energy cost in breaststroke technique: a systematic review

Publication . Alves, Miriam; Barbosa, Tiago M.; Vilas-Boas, João Paulo

This study aimed to synthesise the body of knowledge on kinematics, active drag and energetics determinants of energy cost variability in the breaststroke technique. Methodological procedures considering the standards for systematic reviews according to the ‘“Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses”’ were employed. Searches were conducted in four prominent databases. A total of 1,464 articles were identified, of which 201 met the eligibility criteria. After evaluation, 73 articles were included for synthesis in this review. The included studies had a mean score (± SD) of 9.14 ± 1.76 points regarding the quality assessment. The present review identified three distinct domains of variables: kinematics (including stroke kinematics and coordination parameters), active drag, and energetics. The findings underscored the pivotal role of stroke kinematics, including stroke rate, stroke length, stroke index, and intra-cyclic variations of velocity, in influencing energy cost during breaststroke swimming. Additionally, the analysis highlighted the significance of propulsive and non-propulsive phases, arm-to-leg timing, and buoyancy in breaststroke technique. Notably, breaststroke exhibited higher values of active drag, frontal area, and energy cost, while maintaining lower velocity compared to other swimming techniques. Overall, this synthesis of literature highlights the holistic nature of energy cost in breaststroke swimming.

2024Journal article

Open access