Pacing and Performance in Elite Swimmers with Intellectual Impairments
Author Information
Author(s): Luca Puce, Piotr Zmijewski, Nicola Luigi Bragazzi, Carlo Trompetto
Primary Institution: University of Genoa
Hypothesis
Swimmers with intellectual impairments would exhibit more irregular profile patterns and lower overall chronometric performance, with more pronounced differences in long-distance events.
Conclusion
Swimmers with intellectual impairments showed slower performance compared to able-bodied swimmers, but their pacing strategies were largely similar.
Supporting Evidence
- Swimmers with intellectual impairments had slower overall performance than able-bodied swimmers.
- II2 athletes showed the largest performance deficits.
- Pacing strategies were similar across all groups despite differences in performance.
- Greater variability in performance was observed in II2 and II3 athletes.
Takeaway
This study looked at how swimmers with intellectual disabilities perform compared to regular swimmers. Even though they swam slower, they used similar strategies to pace themselves.
Methodology
The study analyzed pacing profiles and performance metrics from elite swimmers with intellectual impairments and able-bodied swimmers during major competitions.
Potential Biases
Potential biases due to the unequal access to training resources between athletes with and without disabilities.
Limitations
The relatively small sample size, especially in the II2 group, restricts the generalizability of the findings.
Participant Demographics
The study included 365 event entries from athletes with intellectual impairments and able-bodied athletes from 81 countries.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p<0.001
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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