ABSTRACT

Research into swimming skill has typically been concerned with performance improvement rather than the motor control or learning processes that are responsible for performance (Pelayo et al., 2007; Seifert & Chollet, 2008). Swimming performance has been characterised by such biomechanical characteristics as the stroking parameters (velocity, stroke rate, stroke length and stroke index) (Hay, 2002; Pendergast et al., 2006), active drag, power output and propelling efficiency (Pendergast et al., 2005; Toussaint & Truijens, 2005; Toussaint et al., 2000), as well as hand kinematics and kinetics during the underwater path (Schleihauf, 1979; Schleihauf et al., 1988). Research has also considered the energetic characteristics of swimming, such as lactate production, oxygen consumption and heart rate variability (Lavoie & Montpetit, 1986; Pelayo et al., 2007; Toussaint & Hollander, 1994). Whilst of great value, these classic performance variables provide an indirect indication of how humans co-ordinate limb movements to attain high performance and overcome different types of constraints. Therefore, this review presents recent findings on inter-limb co-ordination based on the constraints-led approach and their applications in training and learning.