| Finswimming
is a sport of speed practiced on the surface or underwater, in which
performance is based on whole-body oscillations. The present study
investigated the undulatory motion performed by finswimmers at the
surface. This study aiming to analyze the influence of the interaction
of gender, practice level, and race distance on selected kinematic
parameters. Six elite and six novices finswimmers equipped with joints
markers (wrist, elbow, shoulder, hip, knee, and ankle) were recorded
in the sagittal plane. The position of these anatomical marks was
digitized at 50 Hz. An automated motion analysis software yielded
velocity, vertical amplitude, frequency, and angular position. Results
showed that stroke frequency decreased whereas the mean amplitude
of all joints increased with increasing race distance (p < 0.01).
Mean joint amplitude for the upper limbs (wrist, elbow and shoulder)
was smaller for experts than for novices. Whereas that of the ankle
was larger, so that the oscillation amplitude increased from shoulder
to ankle. Elite male finswimmers were pitching more acutely than female.
Moreover, elite male finswimmers showed a smaller knee bending than
novices and than elite females (p < 0.01). This indicated that
elite male finswimmers attempt to reduce drag forces thanks to a weak
knee bending and a low upper limbs pitch. To sum up, gender, expertise,
and race distance affect the performance and its kinematics in terms
frontal drag. Expertise in finswimming requires taking advantage of
the mechanical constraints pertaining to hydrodynamic constraints
in order to optimize performance.
KEY
WORDS: Swimming, undulations, technique, movement.
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