Passive drag in Para swimmers with physical impairments: Implications for evidence-based classification in Para swimming

Luke Hogarth; Yim-Taek Oh; Casey Osborough; Connor Osborough; Danielle Formosa; Adam Hunter; Alison Alcock; Brendan Burkett; Carl Payton

doi:10.1111/sms.14014

Passive drag in Para swimmers with physical impairments: Implications for evidence-based classification in Para swimming

Luke Hogarth, Yim-Taek Oh, Casey Osborough, Connor Osborough, Danielle Formosa, Adam Hunter, Alison Alcock, Brendan Burkett Carl Payton

Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports, Vol.31(10), pp.1932-1940

2021

: https://doi.org/10.1111/sms.14014

classification

disability

gliding

Para sport

Paralympics

streamline

UniSC Diversity Area - Disability and Inclusion

The inherent hydrodynamic resistance force, or passive drag, of a swimmer directly influences how they move through the water. For swimmers with physical impairments, the strength of association between passive drag and swimming performance is unknown. Knowledge on this factor could improve the World Para Swimming classification process. This study established the relationship between passive drag and 100 m freestyle race performance in Para swimmers with physical impairments. Using a cross‐sectional study design, an electrical‐mechanical towing device was used to measure passive drag force in 132 international‐level Para swimmers. There was a strong, negative correlation between normalized passive drag force and 100 m freestyle race speed in the combined participant cohort (ρ = −0.77, p < 0.001). Type of physical impairment was found to affect the relationship between passive drag and 100 m freestyle race speed when included in linear regression (R2 = 0.65, χ2 = 11.5, p = 0.025). These findings contribute to the body of evidence that passive drag can provide an objective assessment of activity limitation in Para swimmers with physical impairments. The effect of physical impairment type on the relationship between passive drag and swimming performance should be accounted for in Para swimming classification.

: Passive drag in Para swimmers with physical impairments: Implications for evidence-based classification in Para swimming
: Luke Hogarth (Corresponding Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, School of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Legacy
Yim-Taek Oh (Author) - Manchester Metropolitan University
Casey Osborough (Author) - Manchester Metropolitan University
Connor Osborough (Author) - Manchester Metropolitan University
Danielle Formosa (Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, School of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Legacy
Adam Hunter (Author) - Australian Institute of Sport
Alison Alcock (Author) - SportScotland Institute of Sport
Brendan Burkett (Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, High Performance Sport - Legacy
Carl Payton (Author) - Manchester Metropolitan University
: Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports, Vol.31(10), pp.1932-1940
: Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Ltd.
: 2021
: 10.1111/sms.14014
: 1600-0838; 0905-7188
: High Performance Sport - Legacy; School of Health - Sports & Exercise Science; School of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Legacy
: English
: 99548405102621
: Journal article

research.portal.fulldisplay.incitesHighlights.intro

esploro.research.conf.research.portal.label.prefix.inciteCollaboration: research.portal.fulldisplay.incitesHighlights.institutionCollaboration; research.portal.fulldisplay.incitesHighlights.internationalCollaboration
esploro.research.conf.research.portal.label.prefix.inciteWOSResearchAreas: Sport Sciences