The effects of concurrent visual versus verbal feedback on swimming strength task execution

Abstract

Background: The aim was to compare the effects of two different types of concurrent feedback administration on biomechanical performance during a swimming-specific task. Material and methods: A counterbalanced repeated measures design was used to compare the execution of the butterfly stroke (the propulsion phase only) on a modified Smith machine. Twenty repetitions were performed in each condition of feedback (visual vs. verbal). Fourteen college swimmers (age x̄ = 22.21 ±1.85 years, height x̄ = 173.71 ±8.65 cm, mass x̄ = 71.32 ±10.64 kg) were recruited. An incremental force test was administered for each participant to determine the mean propulsive velocity in which maximal power was produced. Feedback addressed correct execution velocity of the pulling movement that corresponded to the maximal power production as determined in an incremental force test. Results: T testing revealed no statistically significant differences between the verbal and visual feedback conditions. Visual feedback elicited a correct response in 76.11% of total feedback compared with 72.06% in the verbal feedback condition. Conclusions: Considering total feedback response, the visual feedback condition elicited 4.05% more correct responses than verbal feedback. However, this difference did not attain statistical significance and, therefore, the underlying hypothesis could not be confirmed.