Author(s): Aastha Bhatt, Hiren Shagolsem and Baljinder Singh

Abstract:
The flexibility and movement of the feet are vital factors that directly impact a swimmer’s performance and overall efficiency in the water. Without the proper flexibility, swimmers may experience discomfort, difficulty achieving the necessary range of motion, increased drag, and reduced efficiency in the water. Swimming performance relies heavily on effective ankle movements—specifically plantar flexion and dorsiflexion which play a vital role in maintaining both propulsion and balance in the water. The objective of this research was to study how increased flexibility of the ankles (Plantar Flexion), affects the overall speed of a professional swimmer. Participants: A total of 20 male national level swimmers aged between 14-18 years old, were selected from Sports Authority of India (Delhi) as subjects for our research, and will undergo 6 weeks of ankle flexibility training. Procedure: Participants underwent timed trials and ankle flexibility measurements pre- and post-test, with a 6-week training interval in between. The plantar flexion of both feet was assessed using a goniometer and swim times were measured using a stopwatch for a 25m distance kick sprint with a kickboard. Results: Based on the data, the flexibility of the ankles of swimmers after undergoing training were Significant, as the p-values for left foot flexibility (p=0.0008) and right foot flexibility (p=0.0131) were both below the significance level of 0.05. And, the improvement of the speed of swimmers, measured by the time to complete a 25m Kick Sprint using a kickboard was Not Significant, as the swim times had a p-value (p=0.4027) above the 0.05 significance threshold. Conclusion: A kick sprint with a travel distance of 25m may have not been sufficient to notice any changes in speed even with improved ankle flexibility, but considering extending the travel distance of the test, the swimmers might be able to better utilize their improved flexibility for maintaining speed and efficiency.

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