Combined lower- and upper-limb post-activation performance enhancement does not clearly improve 50 m front crawl performance in national-level swimmers

Post-activation performance enhancement (PAPE) has been proposed as an acute strategy to improve sprint-swimming readiness, but the effects of combined lower- and upper-limb conditioning remain unclear. This study examined the acute effects of an individually timed combined lower- and upper-limb PAPE condition on 50 m front crawl performance and selected race-kinematic variables in national-level male swimmers. Fourteen swimmers completed a randomized repeated-measures cross-over design including a control condition and a combined PAPE condition.

The conditioning activity consisted of lunge-position squats on a Keiser Squat machine followed by prone butterfly-style double-arm pulls on a Keiser Functional Trainer. The 50 m trial was performed after an individual recovery time based on the upper-limb power-output response. The combined PAPE condition did not significantly improve 50 m performance (25.61 ± 0.81 vs. 25.76 ± 0.83 s; Δ = −0.157 s; p = 0.098; ES = 0.45), although the mean change was directionally favorable.

Reaction time and turn time were shorter after PAPE, while stroke rate increased and stroke length and stroke index decreased on both lengths without improving free-swimming velocity. These findings suggest that the tested combined PAPE condition modified selected race components and stroke organization but did not clearly improve overall 50 m front crawl performance. Better/trivial/harmful responder classification No directional interpretation; used for variables for which an increase or decrease cannot be unequivocally interpreted as better or harmful Swimming velocity, stroke rate, stroke length, and stroke index, respectively; subscripts 1 and 2 indicate the first and second pool length RT—50 m front crawl time excluding reaction time The authors gratefully acknowledge the swimmers for their participation and commitment to the study.

The authors also thank Jakub Karpiński and Robert Wilk for their valuable assistance in conducting the experimental procedures. Institute of Sport Sciences, Academy of Physical Education, Katowice, Poland Arkadiusz Stanula, Wojciech Sadowski & Wojciech Rejdych Department of Water Sports, University of Physical Culture in Kraków, Kraków, Poland Institute of Primary Care, University Hospital of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland Katja Weiss, Thomas Rosemann & Beat Knechtle Medbase St. Gallen Am Vadianplatz, Vadianstrasse 26, St.

Gallen, 9001, Switzerland The authors declare no competing interests. This study was approved by the University Bioethics Committee for Research at the Academy of Physical Education in Katowice (No. 8/2018). All participants provided written informed consent before enrolment.

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