SUMMARY

The aim of the article was to determine and evaluate the influence of special strength on parameters influencing the results of physically disabled swimmers. Testing and experiment methods were used in the research. The testing method was used to evaluate the influence of special strength on the parameters of stroke number, the result of the first and the second parts of competition distance and the difference between them as well as the results of the competition distance. The strength of disabled swimmers on dry land and in the water was tested. The strength of arm muscles of a disabled swimmer on dry land lying on the bench and making back crawl movements using the expander and the dynamometer was tested. The strength of a disabled swimmer in the water swimming back crawl was measured using the expander and the dynamometer. The swimmer swam to a full stretch of the expander and held the tension for 4-6 seconds. Tension force was fixed by the dynamometer in kilograms. The experiment method was used to evaluate the influence of the special strength program on the parameters of stroke number, the results of the first and the second parts of the competition distance and the difference between them as well as the results of the competition distance. The preliminary, the second, the third and the last testings were carried out.

The participants of the experiment had four training sessions per week, two hours per training session on dry land and in the water. The experiment lasted from February to April in 2013. The research data showed that strength exercises had a positive influence on strength values of physically disabled swimmers on dry land and in the water. The strength program improved the swimming results of disabled swimmers in the following way: it reduced the number of strokes in competition distance as well as the difference in the results between the first and the second parts of competition distance, it also improved the results of competition distance.      

Key words: special force, number of strokes, physically disabled swimmers, results of competition distance, parameters influencing results.

 Introduction. Swimming used to be included in physiotherapy and rehabilitation programs for the disabled. Now it is rather a popular kind of sport. Nowadays physically disabled swimming competitions are the most interesting and popular events in the Paralympic Games. The disabled with different functional impairments can participate in competitions with a single restriction not to use prostheses and other assistive devices during the competitions.

Most elite physically disabled swimmers train very intensively, it is becoming more and more prestigious and honorable to win medals in the World and Paralympic championships. Therefore, most countries pay much attention to training of disabled swimmers for the Paralympic Games and other important international competitions [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 10].

Both mastery and psychological, tactical and special skills of physically disabled swimmers are improving every year.

 All this shows that disabled persons aim at performance on a very high level.

However, it should be noted that the results of physically disabled swimmers depend mostly on physical skills and the level of abilities. This issue has not been researched much.

For rehabilitation and sports training of physically disabled persons it is important to gain the abilities of strength and strength endurance. Researches carried out by a few scientists confirm that strength improvement of physically disabled persons could compensate physical impairment while performing  movements [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 10]. But a question rises whether strength improvement could help a physically disabled swimmer to perform movements better and maintain a more stable position in the water. 

It has been determined that swimming results of swimmers depend on the number of strokes. Improved strength and strength endurance should help disabled swimmers maintain a better body possition in the water and improve the stroke quality at the same time reducing the number of strokes and ensuring better performance of the swimmer [10, 11].

The aim of the research was to determine the changes of physically disabled swimmers‘ results in competition distance influenced by the program of special strength improvement.

 Organization and research methods. Testing and experiment methods were used in the research. The testing method was used to evaluate the influence of special strength on  the parameters of stroke number, the results of the first and the second parts of the competition distance and the difference between them as well as the results of competition distance. The strength of disabled swimmers on dry land and in the water was tested. The strength of arm muscles of the disabled swimmer on dry land lying on a bench and making back crawl movements was tested using an expander and a dynamometer. The strength of the disabled swimmer doing back crawl was tested in the water using the expander and the dynamometer. The swimmer swam to a full stretch of the expander and held the tension for 4-6 seconds. Tension force was fixed by the dynamometer in kilograms.

The experiment method was used to evaluate the influence of the special strength program on the parameters of stroke number, the results of the first and the second parts of competition distance and the difference between them as well as the results of competition distance. The preliminary, the second, the third and the last testings were performed. The participants of the experiment had four training sessions per week, two hours per training session on dry land and in the water. The experiment lasted from February to April in 2013.

The strength improvement of the physically disabled was based on technical training, also rational exercises for improving strength were applied alongside with gym training sessions using facilities and equipment adapted for the disabled. Swimming flippers, the expander and the dynamometer were used to create resistance in the water in order to improve special strength of disabled swimmers. 6 swimmers with spinal cord injury participated in the research. The age of the subjects ranged from 19 to 47 years, the experience of participation in swimming competitions – from 2 to 10 years.   

According to the mathematical statistical analysis the results were processed using the statistical analysis software package SPSS 17.0. The arithmetic mean and the margin of error in the experimental group were calculated. The significance of the data differences was assessed using the Student's test (t) with the significance level when p <0,05.

Results and Discussion. The study of the influence of the strength training program on the changes in the results of physically disabled swimmers showed that the results of the experimental group improved after the experiment (p<0,05) in comparison with the results prior to the experiment. However, the interim strength tests results of physically disabled swimmers were similar after a month and after two months. The coefficient of the used force did not change (Table 1).

Physical training is a very important part of training of physically disabled swimmers for competitions. The development level of physical abilities and specific features of physically disabled swimmer affect significantly the final results and the physically disabled athlete’s future perspective. Physically disabled persons have difficulty moving and have to adjust to a new way of moving around, but they can not move in the water as they do on dry land. It is necessary to adapt and acquire new knowledge of how to move in the water, which takes time [3, 8, 9].

The results of this research coincide with the results of other researches on this topic and indicate that much more attention and time have to be devoted to developing and improving special strength of physically disabled swimmers [2]. The data of this research revealed an improvement in the strength indices on dry land and in the water of physically disabled swimmers within twelve weeks. However, the coefficient of the used force indicating how the swimmer uses his own special strength in the water did not change so much throughout the program. It could be due to the fact that the exercises performed in the gym did not fully coincide with stroke movements in terms of dynamic and time characteristics and neuro-muscle coordination. 

  Table 1. Strength indices of physically disabled swimmers before and after the experiment

*- statistically significant difference in strength indices of disabled swimmers before and after the experiment (p<0,05).

According to the research data the results of the 50 m back crawl competition distance of physically disabled swimmers was improving during throughout the experiment, but a significant improvement was observed after the experiment (p<0,05). Thanks to the strength program the values influencing results of disabled swimmers improved: the number of strokes in competition distance decreased, the difference of results between the first and the second parts of the competition distance became less significant, the results of swimming competition distance improved. After the strength program other values influencing swimming results of disabled swimmers were improved. During the experiment the number of strokes decreased, the difference of the results between the first and the second parts of the competition distance minimized, the results of the swimming competition distance of swimmers with physical disability improved (Table 2).

The results on the competition distance highly depend on the number of strokes made by physically disabled swimmers and their ability to distribute strength equally in the first and second parts of the distance. Keeping the same number of strokes in the second part of the distance is also very important. According to the research data the number of strokes made by physically disabled swimmers decreased after the special strength program. Thus, it can be concluded that increasing muscle strengh and endurance in the upper body of swimmers with inferior paraplegia could result in a stronger and longer stroke and maintaining much more stability in the body in the water while swimming the distance. Other values influencing the results also improved thanks to the use of the special strength training program. Having improved strength endurance physically disabled swimmers were able to distribute their strength equally while swimming different parts of the distance keeping almost the same number of strokes in the second part of the swimming distance.   

Table 2. The dynamics of improvement of results of physically disabled swimmers before and after the experiment

*- statistically significant difference in the indices of disabled swimmers before and after the experiment (p<0,05).

CONCLUSIONS

Strength exercises had a positive influence on strength indices of physically disabled swimmers on dry land and in the water:

• it reduced the number of strokes in competition distance;
• it reduced the difference of results between the first and the second parts of the competition distance;
• it improved the results of competition distance.

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Corresponding author: kestutis.skucas@lsu.lt