The Effect of a Combat Swimming Training Program on Swimming Performance

• Main Authors: Ioannis Kostoulas, Stylianos Kounalakis, Argyris Toubekis, Antonios Kaniadakis, Anastasios Karagiannis, Dimitrios Mavraganis, Konstantina Karatrantou, Vasillios Gerodimos
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2019-08-01
• Series: Proceedings
• Subjects: army officer cadets; combat swimming; performance
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/2504-3900/25/1/6

<b>A</b><b>im</b><b>: </b>To explore the effect of a combat swimming training program (CSTP), with and without equipment, on swimming performance. <b>Material &amp; Method</b><b>: </b>45 male army officer cadets volunteered to participate in the study and were randomly divided into three groups: a control group (CG) and two experimental groups. The experimental groups participated in a 4-week combat swimming training program with equipment (CSTPE) or without equipment (CSTPS). Prior to and after the CSTP, all groups performed a 400-m and a 4 &#215; 50-m swimming task, and the time to complete the task, peak blood lactate, and peak heart rate were measured. <b>Results</b><b>: </b>The time to complete the 400-m and 4 &#215; 50-m trials improved significantly only in the CSTPE group (490 &#177; 66 s pre and 463 &#177; 50 s post for 400 m; and 205 &#177; 28 s pre and 192 &#177; 19 s post for 4 &#215; 50 m; <i>p</i> &lt; 0.05), while the CG and CTSPS groups did not improve their time significantly in either trial. All groups presented similar peak lactate and peak heart rate values. <b>Conclusions</b><b>: </b>The results suggest that only the CSTPE group improved swimming performance in both the 400-m and 4 &#215; 50-m trials.