ArticleBMC sports science, medicine & rehabilitation2025
The effects of core stability training on swimming performance in youth swimmers: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Article in BMC sports science, medicine & rehabilitation, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. An erratum has been issued. Cited by 3 papers.
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.
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
3 citing papers in PubMed.
- YouTube as a tool for core stability exercise training a content evaluation study.BMC public health · 2026Article
- Correction: The effects of core stability training on swimming performance in youth swimmers: a systematic review and meta‑analysis.BMC sports science, medicine & rehabilitation · 2026Article
- Effects of NMES Combined with Water-Based Resistance Training on Muscle Coordination in Freestyle Kick Movement.Sensors (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
Corrections and comments
- Erratum issued
Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundThe effectiveness of core stability training, a key component of physical conditioning, on swimming performance remains a topic of debate.
methodsThis study performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the overall effect of core stability training on swimming performance and to examine the moderating effects of gender, stroke type, and training dose. A total of 16 controlled trials (n = 438) were identified through a systematic search of eight electronic databases and additional sources, following PRISMA guidelines. Methodological quality was assessed using the PEDro scale. The standardized mean difference was used to pool effect sizes under a random-effects model.
resultsAfter excluding two studies that contributed substantial heterogeneity, core stability training demonstrated a moderate and statistically significant effect on swimming performance (SMD = -0.71, 95% CI: -0.91 to -0.51, p < 0.00001), with low residual heterogeneity (I
conclusionIn conclusion, core stability training appears effective in enhancing short-distance swimming performance. However, training programs should be tailored to stroke-specific biomechanics, and further studies involving adult populations and long-term interventions are needed to confirm its sustained benefits.
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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.