TY  -  JOUR
AU  -  Bratta, Cecilia
AU  -  Leggiero, Letizia
AU  -  Galvani, Christel
AU  -  Demarie, Sabrina
T1  -  Master swimmers’ start reaction time: a trainable skill for health and performance
PY  -  2025
Y1  -  2025-04-01
DO  -  10.1728/4594.46018
JO  -  Medicina dello Sport
JA  -  Med Sport
VL  -  78
IS  -  2
SP  -  123
EP  -  132
PB  -  Il Pensiero Scientifico Editore
SN  -  1827-1863
Y2  -  2026/04/30
UR  -  http://dx.doi.org/10.1728/4594.46018
N2  -  Summary. Background. Start reaction time is a key determinant of swimming performance, particularly in sprint events. While extensively studied in young elite swimmers, limited research has explored its impact on master swimmers. This study examines the relationship between start reaction time, age, and swimming stroke in male and female master swimmers competing at the World Championships. Methods. Data from the 2023 Masters World Championships in Kyushu, Japan, were analysed, including 4357 male and 3617 female results from 50m and 100m events in Freestyle, Backstroke, Breaststroke, and Butterfly. Reaction times and race performances were assessed across 15 age groups (25–99 years). Spearman’s correlation examined the relationship between reaction time, performance, and age. Results. Performance and reaction times declined with increasing age in all strokes and distances. The strongest correlations were found between the year of birth and performances (rho: min -0.701 max -0.855), reaction times presented lower but still significant correlation with the year of birth (rho: min -0.441 max -0.599). Strong negative correlations between reaction time and performance (rho: min -0.531 max -0.697) emphasized its role in competitive success. Conclusions. Developing fast start reaction time is crucial for master swimmers, as it significantly impacts performance. Training programs focusing on lower limb strength and neuromuscular response may help counteract age-related declines. Coaches should incorporate reaction time training to optimize race performance and mitigate the functional effects of aging.
ER  -