The effect of 12-week isometric core training on performance parameters in amputee swimmers

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of planned and structured isometric trunk exercises performed on land on amputee athletes on swimming performance. The research was designed in accordance with an experimental research design, one of the quantitative methods. The study employed a pre-test–post-test control group experimental design. For data collection, a personal information form, trunk muscle strength measurements (rotator, flexor, and extensor muscle strength), and a 50-meter freestyle swimming performance test conducted under official competition standards were used. The research group consisted of physically disabled swimmers who had participated in the Turkish Championship for at least two years. The inclusion criteria for the study were defined as having an upper or lower limb amputation, having participated in official swimming competitions for athletes with physical disabilities for at least two years, and being between the ages of 14 and 20. A total of 30 athletes who met these criteria were included in the study. The athletes were randomly assigned into two equal groups: the experimental group (n=15) and the control group (n=15). The pre-test measurements were conducted one week before the start of the isometric core training program, while the post-test measurements were carried out one week after the completion of the 12-week program at the Ankara TOHM Center. In the experimental group, in addition to six days of swimming training per week, isometric core exercises (land-based training) lasting 40 minutes were implemented on three of the single-training days each week for a total duration of 12 weeks. The swimming training sessions were set at 90 minutes, while the core training sessions lasted 40 minutes. In contrast, the control group athletes participated only in 90-minute swimming training sessions, six days a week, for the same duration. The data obtained were analyzed using the SPSS 25.0 software package. The demographic characteristics of the participants were determined through frequency and percentage analyses. The distribution of the data was examined using measures of central tendency (mean, median, standard deviation) and the Shapiro-Wilk test. Paired-sample t-tests and Wilcoxon tests were used to compare pre-test and post-test results, while independent-sample t-tests and Mann-Whitney U tests were employed to determine differences between groups and across the gender variable. The ethical approval for the study was granted by the Ethics Committee of Istanbul Gelisim University on 29/02/2024 with the decision numbered 2024-03-73. When the research results are evaluated overall, it was determined that the performance of the amputee swimmers who participated in the study showed differences according to the gender variable. In the pre-tests, male athletes had higher values than female athletes in the number of sit-ups performed in 20 seconds, the trunk extension hold duration, and the leg extension hold duration, whereas in the 50-meter freestyle swimming performance, male athletes achieved lower scores compared to female athletes. In the experimental group, following the 12-week isometric core training program, significant improvements were observed in the number of sit-ups and reverse sit-ups performed in 20 seconds, as well as in tests measuring trunk and leg muscle endurance; moreover, this group demonstrated higher performance than the control group in both pre- and post-tests. On the other hand, although male athletes in the control group showed higher values than female athletes in some land-based tests, no significant overall improvement was recorded between the pre- and post-tests. Furthermore, it was found that the experimental group achieved lower post-test times in the 50-meter freestyle swimming performance compared to the control group and demonstrated significant improvements in pre- to post-test comparisons. These results indicate that isometric core training enhances trunk and leg muscle endurance in amputee swimmers, leading to improvements in land-based tests, and that these gains are reflected in water performance by positively influencing swimming times.