Analyzing Breathing Patterns in the Breaststroke Technique Through Dual-Media Kinematics and Fractal Dimension
The most hydrodynamic swimming position occurs with the head submerged, highlighting the benefit of reduced breathing frequency for efficiency. This study aimed to characterize and compare kinematics between two breaststroke breathing patterns—breathing every cycle and breathing every two cycles—whi...
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MDPI AG
2025-05-01
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| Series: | Sensors |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/25/10/3104 |
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| author | Miriam Alves Pedro Fonseca Aléxia Fernandes André V. Brito Tiago M. Barbosa João Paulo Vilas-Boas |
| author_facet | Miriam Alves Pedro Fonseca Aléxia Fernandes André V. Brito Tiago M. Barbosa João Paulo Vilas-Boas |
| author_sort | Miriam Alves |
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| description | The most hydrodynamic swimming position occurs with the head submerged, highlighting the benefit of reduced breathing frequency for efficiency. This study aimed to characterize and compare kinematics between two breaststroke breathing patterns—breathing every cycle and breathing every two cycles—while also analyzing intra-cyclic velocity variation (<i>dv</i>) and fractal dimension. In the breathing every cycle pattern, each cycle included a breath. In the breathing every cycle pattern, swimmers breathed once per cycle. In the breathing every two cycles pattern, breathing occurred every second cycle, resulting in three types of cycles: breathing, non-breathing, and the breathing cycle following a non-breathing cycle. To ensure familiarity with the new breathing pattern, swimmers underwent a six-week intervention program. They then performed three maximal 25 m bouts in each breathing pattern. Kinematic data were collected using a dual-media optoelectronic system (Qualisys AB, Sweden), integrating underwater and dry-land camera recordings. The results showed minimal differences between the three cycle types. The non-breathing cycle had the shallowest and deepest head positions, the lowest horizontal head amplitude out of water, and the smallest vertical head amplitude. It also had the fastest maximum vertical velocity of the feet and maximum center of mass velocity in the swimming direction. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-6a7775a772f84bbf9fa7c7d0b5e24d1f |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 1424-8220 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-05-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
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| series | Sensors |
| spelling | doaj-art-6a7775a772f84bbf9fa7c7d0b5e24d1f2025-08-20T02:33:48ZengMDPI AGSensors1424-82202025-05-012510310410.3390/s25103104Analyzing Breathing Patterns in the Breaststroke Technique Through Dual-Media Kinematics and Fractal DimensionMiriam Alves0Pedro Fonseca1Aléxia Fernandes2André V. Brito3Tiago M. Barbosa4João Paulo Vilas-Boas5Centre of Research, Education, Innovation and Intervention in Sport (CIFI2D), 4200-450 Porto, PortugalPorto Biomechanics Laboratory (LABIOMEP-UP), 4200-450 Porto, PortugalCentre of Research, Education, Innovation and Intervention in Sport (CIFI2D), 4200-450 Porto, PortugalCentre of Research, Education, Innovation and Intervention in Sport (CIFI2D), 4200-450 Porto, PortugalDepartment of Sport Sciences, Instituto Politécnico de Bragança, 5300-252 Bragança, PortugalCentre of Research, Education, Innovation and Intervention in Sport (CIFI2D), 4200-450 Porto, PortugalThe most hydrodynamic swimming position occurs with the head submerged, highlighting the benefit of reduced breathing frequency for efficiency. This study aimed to characterize and compare kinematics between two breaststroke breathing patterns—breathing every cycle and breathing every two cycles—while also analyzing intra-cyclic velocity variation (<i>dv</i>) and fractal dimension. In the breathing every cycle pattern, each cycle included a breath. In the breathing every cycle pattern, swimmers breathed once per cycle. In the breathing every two cycles pattern, breathing occurred every second cycle, resulting in three types of cycles: breathing, non-breathing, and the breathing cycle following a non-breathing cycle. To ensure familiarity with the new breathing pattern, swimmers underwent a six-week intervention program. They then performed three maximal 25 m bouts in each breathing pattern. Kinematic data were collected using a dual-media optoelectronic system (Qualisys AB, Sweden), integrating underwater and dry-land camera recordings. The results showed minimal differences between the three cycle types. The non-breathing cycle had the shallowest and deepest head positions, the lowest horizontal head amplitude out of water, and the smallest vertical head amplitude. It also had the fastest maximum vertical velocity of the feet and maximum center of mass velocity in the swimming direction.https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/25/10/3104swimmingbreathing patternskinematicscenter of mass |
| spellingShingle | Miriam Alves Pedro Fonseca Aléxia Fernandes André V. Brito Tiago M. Barbosa João Paulo Vilas-Boas Analyzing Breathing Patterns in the Breaststroke Technique Through Dual-Media Kinematics and Fractal Dimension Sensors swimming breathing patterns kinematics center of mass |
| title | Analyzing Breathing Patterns in the Breaststroke Technique Through Dual-Media Kinematics and Fractal Dimension |
| title_full | Analyzing Breathing Patterns in the Breaststroke Technique Through Dual-Media Kinematics and Fractal Dimension |
| title_fullStr | Analyzing Breathing Patterns in the Breaststroke Technique Through Dual-Media Kinematics and Fractal Dimension |
| title_full_unstemmed | Analyzing Breathing Patterns in the Breaststroke Technique Through Dual-Media Kinematics and Fractal Dimension |
| title_short | Analyzing Breathing Patterns in the Breaststroke Technique Through Dual-Media Kinematics and Fractal Dimension |
| title_sort | analyzing breathing patterns in the breaststroke technique through dual media kinematics and fractal dimension |
| topic | swimming breathing patterns kinematics center of mass |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/25/10/3104 |
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