The Relationship of Muscular Strength with Swimming Performance

Abstract

This study was designed to determine the relationship of muscular strength with swimming performance. For this purpose, fifteen muscular strength tests and thirteen swimming performance tests were administrated to 153 skilled college male swimmers. The findings are surmmarized as follows; 1) The dynamic strength which was measured by arm-pulls, sit-ups, and squat-jump showed significant correlation with most of swimming performance tests. However, the static strength which was measured by push arm strength, pull arm strength, abdominal strength, and leg strength (up-ward) did not show such correlation. 2) For the crawl stroke, the static strength which Was measured by back strength, grip strength, arm strength, and leg strength (down-Ward) showed no significant correlation with 200m and/or 400m swimming performance tests. Significant correlation between the static strength and performances, however, was found for such shorter distances as 25m, 50m, 100m, and/or 200m. Dynamic strength which was measured by arm-pulls, sit-ups, and squat-jump showed significant correlation with all swimming performance tests from 25m to 400m. 3) For the distance of 25m, the following correlations were statistically significant: the performances in breast stroke with the records in back strength and push arm strength; those of back stroke with leg strength (down-ward) and squat jump; and those of butterfly stroke with squat jump. For the distance of 200m, however, these correlations were not significant. 4) The performances in butterfly stroke showed significant correlation with sit-ups, arm-pulls, and squat-jump. The same performances, however, did not show any correlation with the static strength which wan measured by back strength, grip strength, arm strength, push arm strength, and leg strength. 5) In 25m swimming performance tests, the sit-ups did not show significant correlation only with breast stroke, while the push arm strength and vertical jump showed significant correlation only with breast stroke. In 200m swimming performance tests, the sit-ups did not show significant correlation only with breast stroke, while the vertical jump showed significant correlation only with breast stroke. 6) In 25m swimming performance test, the arm strength and push-ups showed significant correlation only with crawl stroke. In 200m swimming performance test, the arm strength, push-ups, and leg strength (down-ward) showed significant correlation only with crawl stroke. 7) The total amount of contribution of all the muscular strength tests to the swimming performance was found highest in the 25m crawl arm pull (42.1%), and lowest in the 200m breast stroke (17.1%). 8) In most of swimming performance tests, more than 70% of total amount of contribution of all the muscular strength tests can be explained by less than half of all the test items experimented. 9) In case of 25m breast stroke, 91.4% of total amount of contribution of all the muscular strength tests can be explained by five tests; grip strength (left hand), squat-jump, grip strength (right hand), vertical jump, and arm-pulls. In case of 400m crawl stroke, 93.0% by six tests; arm-pulls, squat-jump, sit-ups, leg strength (up-ward), leg strength (down-ward), and arm strength (right hand).