AUTHOR=Puce Luca , Chamari Karim , Marinelli Lucio , Mori Laura , Bove Marco , Faelli Emanuela , Fassone Marco , Cotellessa Filippo , Bragazzi Nicola Luigi , Trompetto Carlo 

TITLE=Muscle Fatigue and Swimming Efficiency in Behind and Lateral Drafting

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Physiology

VOLUME=Volume 13 - 2022

YEAR=2022

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/physiology/articles/10.3389/fphys.2022.835766

DOI=10.3389/fphys.2022.835766

ISSN=1664-042X

ABSTRACT=Drafting in swimming is a tactic in which an athlete (drafter) swims in the wake of another athlete (leader). Our aim was to compare the effects of this tactic on the drafter, as far as muscle fatigue, muscle activity, and swimming efficiency are concerned.
Fifteen drafters performed three 200 m front crawl trials at a controlled submaximal pace in three configurations: Behind Drafting (BD), Lateral Drafting (LD) and Free Swimming (FS). Muscle fatigue, muscle activity and swimming efficiency were obtained by surface electromyography and video analysis from flexor carpi radialis, triceps brachii, latissimus dorsi and rectus femoris muscles. The outcome measures were: time slope of Mean Frequency (MNF), for muscle fatigue; time slope of Root Mean Square (RMS), for muscle activity; Stroke Index (SI) for swimming efficiency. 
Negative variations of MNF were in the range of 3-7%, 0.5-9%, 8-14% in BD, LD and FS respectively. Statistical significance applied to all cases except to rectus femoris. Positive variations of RMS were in the range of 2-5%, 2-7%, 2-13% in BD, LD and FS respectively. Statistical significance applied only to the slopes of latissimus dorsi in FS and LD.  The largest mean in SI was measured in the BD (2.01 m2/sec), while the smallest was measured in the FS (1.86 m2/sec).
BD was found to be the better swimming configuration, in terms of lower muscle fatigue and higher swimming efficiency, confirming previous findings. Unexpectedly, also LD resulted to be advantageous.