Stretching After an In-Water Warm-Up Does Not Acutely Improve Sprint Freestyle Swim Performance in DIII Collegiate Swimmers

Topics in Exercise Science and Kinesiology Volume 2: Issue 1, Article 11, 2021. Stretching, as part of a warm-up prior to competition, has been used as a method to enhance performance in swimming and other sports, but its efficacy as a potential ergogenic aid remains understudied. This study’s purpose was to determine if acute static stretching or a dynamic warm-up, following an in-water swim-specific warm-up, improved sprint freestyle swim performance in collegiate swimmers. NCAA Division III swimmers (n=15, 67% female) participated in three testing protocols. In each protocol, participants did an in-water warm up and either a dynamic warmup (DW), static stretching warmup (SS), or no stretching (CON) routine followed by three, 100-yard freestyle sprints, each performed four minutes apart. Swim times were recorded for the first and second 50-yard splits and for the full 100 yards in each trial. Repeated-measures analysis of variance and effect sizes were used to assess differences across protocols. Average performance was significantly faster for CON compared to DW for the first 50-yard split (mean difference ~0.47 seconds, p=0.044) and total 100-yard time (mean difference ~0.77 seconds, p=0.017), with medium effect sizes for both. No differences were observed between SS and the other protocols. Adding acute stretching or dynamic warm-up, following an in-water warm-up, either did not improve or was associated with poorer 100-yard freestyle swim performance than solely performing an in-water warm-up. Swimmers should carefully evaluate their warm-up routines and consider a focus on in-water warm-ups for maximizing sprint swim performance

The Effect of Compression Socks on Maximal Exercise Performance and Recovery in Insufficiently Active Adults

International Journal of Exercise Science 14(7): 1036-1051, 2021. In athletic populations, compression socks (CS) may improve exercise performance recovery. However, their potential to improve performance and/or recovery following exercise in non-athletic populations is unknown. Our study evaluated the effects of CS on exercise performance and recovery from a graded maximal treadmill test. Insufficiently active adults (n = 10, 60% female, average physical activity ~60 minutes/week) performed two graded maximal exercise tests; one while wearing below-knee CS, and the other trial with regular socks (CON). Order of trials was randomized. For both trials, heart rate, lactate, and rating of perceived exertion were measured at each stage and at one, five, and ten- minutes post-exercise. Additionally, recovery variables (soreness, tightness, annoyingness, tenderness, pulling) were measured at 24 and 48 hours post-exercise using a visual analog scale. Paired-samples t-tests were used to compare exercise and recovery variables between CS and CON trials. Heart rate, lactate, and rating of perceived exertion were not different between trials for any stage during the exercise test or immediate recovery. Most 24- and 48-hour recovery variables were significantly improved after the CS trial, with values 34.6 - 42.3% lower at 24 hours and 40.3 - 61.4% lower at 48 hours compared to CON. Compression socks provided a significant and meaningful improvement in recovery variables 24-48 hours following maximal exercise. Therefore, CS may remove a common barrier to exercise adherence and facilitate more effective training recovery for insufficiently active adults