Determinants of short-distance performance in youth swimmers

The sprinting performances, i.e. for race distances of 100 meters and shorter, are explained by various psychological, biomechanical, anthropometric and physiological factors. Chapter 7 focuses on the key physiological determinants of the ‘swim phase or the clean swim speed element’ of a race with recognition that some of these determinants also contribute to effective starts and turns. Each physiological determinant (muscular force, velocity, power, anaerobic power and capacity, neuromuscular fatigue) is defined first to then review the scientific literature in youth swimming. Chapter 7 also reviews the key anthropometric determinants of children’s short distance performances as they affect changes in muscular force and velocity during childhood. Presentation and appraisal of a few measurement methods accompany each determinant