Upper to Lower Limb Coordination Dynamics in Swimming Depending on Swimming Speed and Aquatic Environment Manipulations

in Motor Control

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Brice GuignardUniversity of Rouen Normandy
University Savoie Mont Blanc

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Annie RouardUniversity Savoie Mont Blanc

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Didier CholletUniversity of Rouen Normandy

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Marco BonifaziUniversity of Siena

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Dario Dalla VedovaItalian National Olympic Committee (CONI)

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John HartSheffield Hallam University

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Ludovic SeifertUniversity of Rouen Normandy

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DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1123/mc.2018-0026
Keywords:
frequency coupling; frontcrawl; interlimb coordination dynamics; phase coupling
In Print:
Volume 23: Issue 3
Page Range:
418–442
Restricted access

Swimming is a challenging locomotion, involving the coordination of upper and lower limbs to propel the body forward in a highly resistive aquatic environment. During front crawl, freestyle stroke, alternating rotational motion of the upper limbs above and below the waterline, is coordinated with alternating lower limb pendulum actions. The aim of this study was to investigate the upper to lower limbs coordination dynamics of eight male elite front crawlers while increasing swimming speed and disturbing the aquatic environment (i.e., pool vs. flume). Upper to lower limb frequency ratios, coordination, coupling strength, and asymmetry were computed from data collected by inertial measurement units. Significant speed effect was observed, leading to transitions from 1∶1 to 1∶3 frequency ratios (1∶3 overrepresented), whereas 1∶2 frequency ratio was rarely used. Flume swimming led to a significant lower coupling strength at low speeds and higher asymmetries, especially at the highest speeds, probably related to the flume dynamic environment.

Guignard, Chollet, and Seifert are with Center for the Study and the Transformation of Physical Activities (CETAPS), Faculty of Sport Sciences, University of Rouen Normandy, UNIROUEN, Mont-Saint-Aignan, France. Guignard and Rouard are with Interuniversity Biology and Motricity Laboratory (LIBM), University Savoie Mont Blanc, Chambéry, France. Bonifazi is with the Department of Medicine, Surgery, and NeuroScience, University of Siena, Siena, Italy. Dalla Vedova is with Sport Science Department, Medicine and Science Sport Institute, Italian National Olympic Committee (CONI), Rome, Italy. Hart is with the Center for Sports Engineering Research, Sheffield Hallam University, Sheffield, United Kingdom.

Guignard (brice.guignard@univ-rouen.fr) is corresponding author.
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