EFFECTS OF AN INTEGRATED STRENGTH AND TECHNICAL TRAINING PROTOCOL ON BACKSTROKE START PERFORMANCE IN ADOLESCENT COMPETITIVE SWIMMERS
Keywords:
adolescent swimmers, backstroke start, dry-land strength training, swimming performance, technical trainingAbstract
Backstroke start performance is a decisive determinant of sprint swimming success, particularly during the first 15 m of the race. Dry-land strength training has been shown to improve neuromuscular performance; however, evidence regarding its transfer to backstroke-specific start performance in adolescent swimmers remains limited. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of an integrated strength and technical training protocol on 15-m backstroke start performance, medicine ball push, half squat performance, and vertical jump performance in competitive swimmers aged 14–15 years.
Thirty competitive swimmers were allocated to an experimental group (n = 15) or a control group (n = 15). Both groups followed the same in-water swimming program throughout the competitive season, whereas the experimental group additionally completed a structured dry-land strength program combined with sport-specific technical training. Performance was assessed at baseline (Pre), mid-intervention (Mid), and post-intervention (Post). Repeated-measures ANOVA was used to evaluate the effects of Time, Group, and the Group × Time interaction.
Significant improvements were observed in all performance variables over time (p < .001). Significant Group × Time interactions demonstrated that the experimental group achieved substantially greater improvements than the control group in medicine ball push, half squat performance, vertical jump height, and 15-m backstroke start time (all p < .001). Although both groups demonstrated small improvements throughout the intervention, the experimental group showed markedly greater gains, with the largest improvement observed in 15-m backstroke start performance.
These findings indicate that integrating structured dry-land strength training with additional backstroke-specific technical practice effectively enhances both neuromuscular performance and swimming-specific start performance in adolescent competitive swimmers. The results support the inclusion of integrated dry-land strength training within long-term swimmer development programs to optimize competitive backstroke performance.
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