EFFECTS OF AN INTEGRATED STRENGTH AND TECHNICAL TRAINING PROTOCOL ON BACKSTROKE START PERFORMANCE IN ADOLESCENT COMPETITIVE SWIMMERS
EFFECTS OF AN INTEGRATED STRENGTH AND TECHNICAL TRAINING PROTOCOL ON BACKSTROKE START PERFORMANCE IN ADOLESCENT COMPETITIVE SWIMMERS

Summary/Abstract: Backstroke start performance is a decisive determinant of sprint swimming success, particularly during the first 15 m of the race. Dry-land strength training has been shown to improve neuromuscular performance; however, evidence regarding its transfer to backstroke-specific start performance in adolescent swimmers remains limited. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of an integrated strength and technical training protocol on 15-m backstroke start performance, medicine ball push, half squat performance, and vertical jump performance in competitive swimmers aged 14–15 years. Thirty competitive swimmers were allocated to an experimental group (n = 15) or a control group (n = 15). Both groups followed the same in-water swimming program throughout the competitive season, whereas the experimental group additionally completed a structured dry-land strength program combined with sport-specific technical training. Performance was assessed at baseline (Pre), mid-intervention (Mid), and post-intervention (Post). Repeated-measures ANOVA was used to evaluate the effects of Time, Group, and the Group × Time interaction. Significant improvements were observed in all performance variables over time (p < .001). Significant Group × Time interactions demonstrated that the experimental group achieved substantially greater improvements than the control group in medicine ball push, half squat performance, vertical jump height, and 15-m backstroke start time (all p < .001). Although both groups demonstrated small improvements throughout the intervention, the experimental group showed markedly greater gains, with the largest improvement observed in 15-m backstroke start performance. These findings indicate that integrating structured dry-land strength training with additional backstroke-specific technical practice effectively enhances both neuromuscular performance and swimming-specific start performance in adolescent competitive swimmers. The results support the inclusion of integrated dry-land strength training within long-term swimmer development programs to optimize competitive backstroke performance.

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