ACTIVE DRAG AND PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS IN AGE GROUP SWIMMERS

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The purpose of this study was to identify the influence of body size and morphology in active drag (Da) in front crawl swimming. Seventeen male national level swimmers (age: 15.42 ± 0.53 years, height: 178.52 ± 7.42 cm, body mass: 66.82 ± 7.45 kg) were selected from a large pool (350) of swimmers evaluated using the velocity perturbation method. Inclusion criterion was having achieved the same maximal velocity in the test (1.78 m.s-1). Hydrodynamic variables showed large variation and were correlated to body mass and height. Height corrected for the squared body mass showed a strong negative association with Da (-0.810). Swimmers of equivalent performance level have different active hydrodynamic profiles, according to body size and morphological characteristics.