Ruiz-Navarro, Jesús J.Morouço, Pedro G.Arellano, Raúl2023-06-152023-06-152020Ruiz-Navarro JJ, Morouço PG, Arellano R. Relationship Between Tethered Swimming in a Flume and Swimming Performance. Int J Sports Physiol Perform. 2020 Feb 7:1-8. doi: 10.1123/ijspp.2019-0466. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 32032941.1555-026532032941http://hdl.handle.net/10400.8/8602Acknowledgments: This study was supported by grant awarded by the Ministry of Economy, Industry and Competitiveness (Spanish Agency of Research) and the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF); DEP2014-59707-P “SWIM: Specific Water Innovative Measurements applied to the development of International Swimmers in Short Swimming Events (50 and 100 m) and the Spanish Ministry of Education, Culture and Sport: FPU17/02761 grant. This article is a part of an international thesis belonging to the Program of PhD in Biomedicine (B11.56.1), from the University of Granada, Granada (Spain).Purpose: To study the relationship between tethered swimming in a flume at different speeds and swimming performance. Methods: Sixteen regional-level swimmers performed 25-, 50-, and 100-m front-crawl trials and four 30-s tethered-swimming tests at 0, 0.926, 1.124, and 1.389 m·s−1 water-flow velocities. Average and maximum force, average and maximum impulse, and intracyclic force variation (dF) were estimated for each tethered-swimming trial. Swimming velocity and intracyclic velocity variation (dv) were obtained for each free-swimming trial. Stroke rate and rating of perceived exertion (RPE) were registered for all trials. Results: Tethered-swimming variables, both at 1.124 m·s−1 and at 1.389 m·s−1 water-flow velocities, were positively associated with 25-m swimming velocity (P < .05). Average force and maximum impulse in stationary swimming were significantly associated with 25-m swimming velocity (P < .05). A positive relationship between water-flow velocities with dF was observed. Swimming performance was not related to dF or dv. Neither stroke rate nor RPE differed between the 4 tethered conditions and mean 50-m free-swimming velocity (P > .05). Conclusions: Measuring force in a swimming flume at higher water-flow velocities is a better indicator of performance than stationary tethered swimming. It enables assessment of the ability to effectively apply force in the water.engTethered forcesStrengthTrainingExercise testingForce assessmentjournal articlehttps://doi.org/10.1123/ijspp.2019-04661555-0273