SynthesisSports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.)2018
Pacing in Swimming: A Systematic Review.
Synthesis in Sports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.), 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 43 papers, 4 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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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.
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.
Who cites it
43 citing papers in PubMed, 4 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Caffeine makes a splash: a systematic review and multilevel meta-analysis exploring the effects of caffeine intake on swimming performance.Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition · 2026Pooled it
- Biomechanical, Physiological and Anthropometric Determinants of Backstroke Swimming Performance: A Systematic Review.Sports medicine - open · 2025Pooled it
- Factors Relating to Sprint Swimming Performance: A Systematic Review.Sports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.) · 2025Pooled it
- Effect of Resistance Training Methods and Intensity on the Adolescent Swimmer's Performance: A Systematic Review.Frontiers in public health · 2022Pooled it
- The relationship between stroke length, stroke frequency, glide time and performance in swimmers: a biomechanical study.BMC sports science, medicine & rehabilitation · 2026Article
- 'Guard' Workout: Can a Lifeguard-Specific High-Intensity Functional Training Reflect Rescue Demands?Journal of functional morphology and kinesiology · 2026Article
- Swimming turns reduce energy demands of the aerobic performance in front crawl.European journal of applied physiology · 2026Article
- Sex differences in three-dimensional intra-cycle velocity fluctuation and performance during freestyle swimming among high-level swimmers.Scientific reports · 2026Article
- Age-Related Breakpoints in Pacing Variability and Performance in Masters Swimmers: A Segmented Regression Analysis of World Championship Male and Female Data.Journal of functional morphology and kinesiology · 2026Article
- Distinctive Regulation Profiles of Stroke Mechanics Underlie Pacing and Discriminate 400 m Front-Crawl Performance.Journal of sports science & medicine · 2025Article
- Article
- Increased attention towards progress information near a goal state.Psychonomic bulletin & review · 2025Article
- Metronome-guided training accelerates the adaptation to an aerobic training pace in swimming.Frontiers in sports and active living · 2025Article
- The influence of tactical positioning on performance in world-championship freestyle swimming.Frontiers in sports and active living · 2025Article
- Editorial: Developing sprinters: how can we swim, cycle, and run faster?Frontiers in sports and active living · 2025Article
- Comparative Pacing Profile and Chronometric Performance in Elite Swimmers with Intellectual Impairments and Able-Bodied Athletes.Life (Basel, Switzerland) · 2024Article
- Pacing strategies in marathons: A systematic review.Heliyon · 2024Article
- The effect of forced even pacing and an opponent on end-spurt behaviour in freestyle pool swimming.European journal of sport science · 2024Article
- Race analysis in swimming: understanding the evolution of publications, citations and networks through a bibliometric review.Frontiers in sports and active living · 2024Review
- The variability of competitive performance and pacing strategies in different rounds of the 400 m and 800 m freestyle swimming races at the 2017-2024 World Swimming Championships.Frontiers in sports and active living · 2024Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundPacing strategy, or how energy is distributed during exercise, can substantially impact athletic performance and is considered crucial for optimal performance in many sports. This is particularly true in swimming given the highly resistive properties of water and low mechanical efficiency of the swimming action.
objectivesThe aim of this systematic review was to determine the pacing strategies utilised by competitive swimmers in competition and their reproducibility, and to examine the impact of different pacing strategies on kinematic, metabolic and performance variables. This will provide valuable and practical information to coaches and sports science practitioners. DATA SOURCES: The databases Web of Science, Scopus, SPORTDiscus and PubMed were searched for published articles up to 1 August 2017. STUDY SELECTION: A total of 23 studies examining pool-based swimming competitions or experimental trials in English-language and peer-reviewed journals were included in this review.
resultsIn short- and middle-distance swimming events maintenance of swimming velocity is critical, whereas in long-distance events a low lap-to-lap variability and the ability to produce an end spurt in the final lap(s) are key. The most effective strategy in the individual medley (IM) is to conserve energy during the butterfly leg to optimise performance in subsequent legs. The pacing profiles of senior swimmers remain relatively stable irrespective of opponents, competition stage or type, and performance time.
conclusionImplementing event-specific pacing strategies should benefit the performance of competitive swimmers. Given differences between swimmers, there is a need for greater individualisation when considering pacing strategy selection across distances and strokes.
Indexed as
Identifiers
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Registered trials
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.