This article provided by Swimming Science and Training Cor
Over the past decade, breaststroke have undergone massive time drops. The Men’s 100-meter breaststroke 2000 Olympic Champion would have placed 19th at the 2015 World Championships. This large discrepancy demonstrates the enormous shift breaststroke has made in the past 15 years.
This reasoning behind this shift in speed is complex. However, understanding the possible factors can further enhance performance. I feel these improvements can be broken down into 5 main categories.
ONE – Rule Changes: In breaststroke, allowing a dolphin kick on each pullout has certainly breaststroke performance. Adding this extra kick has improved breaststroke by ~0.2 seconds per pullout (theoretical guess). In a 100-m breaststroke, this equals a 0.4 second improvement of the 2.5 second improvement over the past 15 years.
TWO – Technological Improvements: Swimming has undergone many technological changes over the past 15 years. I’ve discussed in detail the potential improvement of the Omega kick plate blocks in detail on my website Swimming Science. To summarize, these blocks may improve times by ~0.2 second (Biel 2010; Honda 2010). On top of this, lane lines, pool depth, and many more small technological improvements have aided performance.
THREE – Human Genetics: Humans are increasing in size and strength. Many feel this is from training, but continual human evolution is occurring. Also, with more people participating in the sport, the higher likelihood of genetically gifted swimmers entering the sport occurs. When the ultra-gifted swimmers participate in the sport, the higher the chance of the swimmer’s best suited for swimming participate. Combine this with the continually size and strength increase and more potential improvement exists.
FOUR – Training Improvements: Swimming training is shifting from high volume programs to either lower volume and/or high-intensity training. Some may feel they still do a lot of volume, but the current high volume programs are still at a fraction of previous swimming. Allied training has also improved significantly. Dryland has shifted from long running to specific-strength training. Nutrition and mental training have also improved significantly, all further improving breaststroke and swimming.
FIVE – Biomechanical Improvements: Biomechanics play the largest role on swimming performance. Breaststroke used to encourage a wide separation at the knees. This technique increases frontal drag and slows kick rate. For elite 50-m and 100-m breaststroke, a major shift is occurring towards a narrow breaststroke kick, encouraging the swimmer to use hip internal rotation, not hip abduction. This position helps reduce drag and maximize kick propulsion. Moreover, a breaststroke kick originating from hip internal rotation also reduces stress at the knees. This stress reduction at the knees is not resolved, as this stroke has a lot of knee stress, but every little bit helps. To further progress breaststroke swimming, a shift must occur in the technical elements of breaststroke from learn-to-swim to professionals. The FINIS Kick Pro provides the tool for making this shift. The FINIS Kick Pro facilitate the correct breaststroke kick for young swimmers with the wide centerpiece setting. The tool can also help elite breaststroke swimmers maintain their narrow kick during fatigue at the end of a breaststroke set.
Swimming improvement is very complex. For this reason, controlling the variables you can influence is huge! In swimming, biomechanics are the greatest modifiable tool for swimmers. In breaststroke, the kick provides the greatest propulsion and drag. Improve your breaststroke kick with the FINIS Kick Pro, an amazing tool for learning correct biomechanics and maintaining biomechanics during fatigue.
Other Dryland Video for potential use:
hi
I forecast movement of young male US athletes into swimming as alternative to American football amid concussion fears. Or, football players moving to basketball for same, and bumping tall b-ball players into swimming. Either resulting in steady increase in average male swimmer height. Not sure what patterns may be forecast for young female US athletes.
Evolution and Creation (over in the Israel trip thread ) in one day on SWSW. Excellent !
I think evolution is where people can do both breastroke & 2 other things e.g. walking & talking . Creation is where God decided on a species who could just do breastroke & crawling & a form of verbal communication. Nothing wrong with that . If there was a crawling race in the Olympics they would do great . I have seen people crawling on all 4s around the track recently so maybe it is coming.
It is just prejudice like we much prefer homosapiens over Neanderthals . There is no evidence Neanderthals were less charismatic types just like it is unfair… Read more »
Breastroke has completely changed, that’s why the US and japan have fallen behind Europe, the stroke used to be based on getting the most of every stroke, taking long glides, and while this is still seen in modern breaststroke, timing has proven to be the most crucial ascpect. If you watch Soni or Efimova, you can see how there timing gets them ahead of everyone else, as there minimizing the drag there making with perfect timing. This is also while peaty is so good, he has a high stroke rate, but still keeps the timing to generate more propulsion then anyone else while keeping the drag low.
Exactly
But the 200m WR is “old school” making it harder at the Olympics with no 50m
Other than with selective breeding, the intervals to see evolutionary changes are in the thousands of years. The height changes in 20th century are almost assuredly due to nutritional/health/environmental factors, not evolution.
You’re exactly right. Humans in the industrialized world shrank considerably throughout the 19th century as populations became more economically stratified and nutrition for the average person got poorer. With the rise of the middle class and service economies in the 20th century, we got healthier and better fed, and we recovered the height we’d lost. During the 21st century, it appears the trend has either plateaued or reversed again. The average American male was 5’10” in 2000 and is 5’9.5” today.
SIX- cody miller’s dolphin kicks
Why does everybody hate on Miller? All elite breaststrokers push the limits of the rules. And when has Cody been disqualified? And has he been disqualified more than other elite breaststrokers?
he got Dq’d at ncaa in Indy bruh
come on guys, human evolution over the past 15 years? The population has certainly grown fatter in the past 15 years, but not taller. What i think is more likely is that there are some taller individuals trying the sport and staying in the sport because of success. And coaches are figuring out the breastroke technique of those with the height of a Reece Whitely.
In the 20th Century, the average American height increased by approximately 1cm/decade.
But yes, I think the things you pointed out come into play as well.
This has absolutely nothing to do with evolution. it is entirelyattributed to health and hygiene improvements.
That process has stopped long ago, Keith. There’s been no significant change in adult height over the last generation in western countries at least. Unless perhaps in some immigrant groups.
obviously, I meant “Braden”. 😀