Análise biomecência da transição do nado submerso para o nado peito em atletas de natação paralímpica: um estudo preliminar

Abstract

Introduction: The transition from underwater to surface swimming is a critical phase in short-distance swimming events, particularly in the breaststroke style, where movement efficiency directly impacts performance. In the Paralympic context, this phase remains underexplored in scientific literature, especially among high-performance athletes. Objective: To analyze the efficiency of velocity transition between the underwater and surface phases in the breaststroke style among Paralympic athletes. Methods: Six para-athletes from the Praia Clube Paralympic swimming team participated in this study. The athletes performed a 100-meter breaststroke sprint at competitive intensity and were filmed up to the 15-meter mark. Swimming velocity was analyzed using Kinovea software, and data were processed with JASP software using paired Student’s t-tests (p < 0.05). Results: Individual differences were found: two athletes swam faster during the surface phase (phase 2), two during the underwater phase (phase 1), and two maintained similar speeds between phases. The group mean was 1.49 m/s for the underwater phase and 1.63 m/s for the surface phase, with no statistically significant difference (p = 0.368). Conclusion: The efficiency of the transition varies according to the athletes’ functional characteristics, highlighting the importance of specific training to optimize this segment of the race. This study provides important insights into the technical performance of Paralympic breaststroke swimmers and reinforces the need for further research in this area.