The effect of rhythm training on the motor coordination abilities of 8-12-year-old freestyle swimmers

Xiaofeng Yin; Rongxin Zhu; Xin Shi; Guang Cai; Chen Jing; Qile Pan; Tao Yang

doi:10.7717/peerj.15667

The effect of rhythm training on the motor coordination abilities of 8-12-year-old freestyle swimmers

PeerJ. 2023 Jul 28:11:e15667. doi: 10.7717/peerj.15667. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Xiaofeng Yin^#¹, Rongxin Zhu^#¹, Xin Shi², Guang Cai¹, Chen Jing¹, Qile Pan¹, Tao Yang³

Affiliations

¹ Department of Talent Identification and Development in Sport, Shanghai Research Institute of Sports Science (Shanghai Anti-doping Agency), Shanghai, China.
² Xianda College of Economics and Humanities, Shanghai International Studies University, Shanghai, China.
³ School of P.E and Sport Training, Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai, China.

^# Contributed equally.

Abstract

This study aims to evaluate the effect of rhythm training in the early coordination development and to find out its role in the transfer of specific performance in young swimmers. Eighty young swimmers aged eight to twelve were divided randomly into a control group (CON, n = 40, M/F=17/23) or an experimental group (EXP, n = 40, M/F=19/21). A total of 72 swimmers completed all the training programs and tests included in this study (CON, n = 35, M/F=15/20; EXP, n = 37, M/F=16/21). The training programme lasted 12 weeks. During the study period, all groups participated in the same swimming training program with the control group participating six times a week, and the experimental group participating four times a week with an additional two rhythm trainings each week. The height, weight, walking backwards ability, jumping sideways ability, and 25 m freestyle were measured for each participant and an index of coordination was analyzed from recordings of the participant's 25 m freestyle. The results indicated that participation in rhythm training resulted in improved general motor and swimming-specific coordination among the swimmers, but the results varied by number of years of sport-specific training experience. The swimmers with more training experience improved more in swimming-specific coordination but less in general motor coordination. This study strengthens the evidence for the effectiveness of early rhythm training in swimmers, indicating that it is feasible to design programs to address general and sport-specific coordination in young athletes.

Keywords: Early coordination development; General coordination; Specific coordination; Young athletes.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Athletes
Athletic Performance*
Child
Control Groups
Humans
Swimming

Grants and funding

This work was supported by the Science and Technology Commission of Shanghai Municipality (Grand no. 22DZ1205100). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.