ORIGINAL ARTICLE  EXERCISE PHYSIOLOGY AND BIOMECHANICS 

The Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness 2020 July;60(7):957-64

DOI: 10.23736/S0022-4707.20.10335-9

Copyright © 2020 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

language: English

Occlusion technique in swimming: a training method to improve exchange block time in swimming relays

Ana CONCEIÇÃO ^{1, 2, 3} ✉, Aldo M. COSTA ^{2, 4, 5}, António J. SILVA ^{2, 6}, Pedro SOBREIRO ^{1, 3}, Hugo LOURO ^{1, 2}

¹ Sport Sciences School of Rio Maior, Rio Maior, Portugal; ² Research Center in Sports Sciences, Health and Human Development, Vila Real, Portugal; ³ The Life Quality Research Center (CIEQV), Santarém, Portugal; ⁴ Department of Sports Sciences, University of Beira Interior, Covilhã, Portugal; ⁵ Health Sciences Research Center (CICS-UBI), Covilhã, Portugal; ⁶ University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, Vila Real, Portugal

BACKGROUND: Swimming relay events have the concern regarding a good start is shared between the incoming and outgoing swimmers. The aim of this study was to evaluate changes in exchange block time (EBT) for swimming relay events as a result of a four-week training program using the occlusion technique.
METHODS: Twenty-eight national swimmers, 12 males (age: 17±1.83 years) and 16 females (age: 19.94±5.65 years) participated in this study. Subjects were required to undergo a training program on visual perception in relay swimming over the course of four weeks; they watched videos corresponding to the last movements of a swimmer during a 4×100m freestyle relay event. The videos were presented with temporal occlusion corresponding to predetermined approaching distances (7.5 m, 5.0 m, and 2.5 m). Swimmers were required to simulate a typical position for exiting the block and to estimate the time-to-contact of the incoming swimmer. The EBT was collected during a real 4×100-m freestyle competition before and after the application of the training program.
RESULTS: Female swimmers showed a decreased in EBT, with an improvement of 1.42%, despite there not being a significant difference (P=0.68). The male swimmers had a higher improvement in EBT after the training, with a decrease of 13.34% (P=0.68).
CONCLUSIONS: Visual perception practice using video occlusion techniques seems to have a positive effect. On EBT in swimming relay events, particularly in female swimmers.

KEY WORDS: Visual perception; Swimming; Athletic performance; Athletes