Evidence map›Paper›PMID 1553457›Full record

ReviewSports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.)1992

Biomechanics of competitive front crawl swimming.

H M Toussaint, P J Beek

Abstract readReview
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Review in Sports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.), 1992. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 62 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
62citing papers in PubMed, 3 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

62 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Pooled it
  4. Trial
  5. Trial
  6. Energy cost of swimming of elite long-distance swimmers.European journal of applied physiology · 2005
    Trial
  7. An energy balance of front crawl.European journal of applied physiology · 2005
    Trial
  8. Passive and active floating torque during swimming.European journal of applied physiology · 2004
    Trial
  9. Factors affecting swimming economy in children and adults.European journal of applied physiology · 2004
    Trial
  10. Trial
  11. Article
  12. Article
  13. Upper Limbs Movement Frequency: Connection to Swimming Performance and Kinematics.Journal of functional morphology and kinesiology · 2026
    Article
  14. Review
  15. Article
  16. Journal of functional morphology and kinesiology · 2025
    Article
  17. Article
  18. Article
  19. Article
  20. Arm Propulsion in Front Crawl Stroke.Sports (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025
    Article

2 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

2 authors.

H M ToussaintDepartment of Health Science, Faculty of Human Movement Sciences, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
P J Beek

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Essential performance-determining factors in front crawl swimming can be analysed within a biomechanical framework, in reference to the physiological basis of performance. These factors include: active drag forces, effective propulsive forces, propelling efficiency and power output. The success of a swimmer is determined by the ability to generate propulsive force, while reducing the resistance to forward motion. Although for a given competitive stroke a range of optimal stroking styles may be expected across a sample of swimmers, a common element of technique related to a high performance level is the use of complex sculling motions of the hands to generate especially lift forces. By changing the orientation of the hand the propulsive force acting on the hand is aimed successfully in the direction of motion. Furthermore, the swimming velocity (v) is related to drag (A), power input (Pi, the rate of energy liberation via the aerobic/anaerobic metabolism), the gross efficiency (eg), propelling efficiency (ep), and power output (Po) according to: [formula; see text] Based on the research available at present it is concluded that: (a) drag in groups of elite swimmers homogeneous with respect to swimming technique is determined by anthropometric dimensions; (b) total mechanical power output (Po) is important since improvement in performance is related to increased Po. Furthermore, it shows dramatic changes with training and possibly reflects the size of the 'swimming engine'; (c) propelling efficiency seems to be important since it is much higher in elite swimmers (61%) than in triathletes (44%); and (d) distance per stroke gives a fairly good indication of propelling efficiency and may be used to evaluate individual progress in technical ability.

Indexed as

SwimmingArmBiomechanical PhenomenaBody HeightHumansOxygen ConsumptionPhysical EndurancePhysical Exertion

Identifiers

PMID1553457

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.