Proposta de padronização para a distância de análise do desempenho da virada no nado crawl

Abstract

The ongoing research on freestyle flip turns requires the standardization of assessment methods and protocols. The objective of this study was to propose a standardization of the distance used for the analysis of flip-turn performance. Eleven swimmers of both genders (16±3 years) participated in the study. Peak force (PF) and contact time (CT) were measured using a force platform. Five camcorders were installed to determine the flip-turn time at a distance of 15 (TT15) and 10 m (TT10), distance before the turn, distance to regain stroke, and time without stroke. Each swimmer performed eight flip turns. The level of significance was set at p<0.01. Mean PF was 1075 N and mean CT was 0.32 s. Mean TT10 and TT15 were 5.52 and 8.81 s, respectively. PF and CT were associated with flip-turn performance at distances of 10 and 15 m. However, this association was stronger when analyzing time without stroke, which is part of the flip-turn phases. In conclusion, PF and CT were associated with flip-turn performance at distances of 10 and 15 m. A distance of 10 m was found to be sufficient to evaluate athletes with technical characteristics similar to those of this study. The use of the 15-m distance is recommended for swimmers with different technical characteristics, such as a longer underwater phase.