This study aimed to (1) track changes in body composition, lower body force-time characteristics, and swim start performance over a competitive season, and (2) investigate the intra-individual associations between changes in body composition and lower body force-time characteristics to swim start performance in five high performance swimmers (three males, two females). Over a ∼12-month period, body composition, lower body force-time characteristics and swim start performance were assessed at three time points via DXA scan, squat jump and swim start performance test (start times to 5 and 15 m and several kinematic and kinetic outputs). Throughout a competitive season of concurrent swimming and dry-land resistance training, improvements in lower body lean mass and squat jump force-time characteristics were observed. However, changes in start times varied between athletes. Total body and lower body lean mass both displayed large negative correlations with the time spent in the entry and propulsive underwater phases (r = –0.57 to –0.66), along with a large positive correlations with glide time (r = 0.56–0.53). Additionally, lower body lean mass exhibited large to very large positive correlations with the flight phase (r = 0.70–0.73). Overall, these findings provide some insight into the potential magnitude of change in body composition, lower body force-time characteristics and swim start performance in high performance swimmers within a season. The large to very large correlations between increased lower body lean mass and SJ force-time metrics to improvements in aspects of start performance may provide useful information to coaches and sports scientists.

本研究旨在 (1) 跟踪一个竞争赛季中身体成分、下肢力量时间特征和游泳开始表现的变化，以及 (2) 调查身体成分变化与下肢力量时间之间的个体内部关联五名高性能游泳运动员（三名男性，两名女性）的游泳开始表现的特征。在大约 12 个月的时间里，通过 DXA 扫描、蹲跳和游泳开始性能测试（开始时间为 5 米和 15 米以及几个运动学和游泳开始时间）在三个时间点评估身体成分、下肢力量-时间特征和游泳开始表现。动力学输出）。在同时进行游泳和旱地阻力训练的整个竞争赛季中，观察到下半身瘦体重和蹲跳力-时间特性的改善。然而，运动员开始时间的变化各不相同。全身和下半身瘦体重都与进入和推进水下阶段所花费的时间显着负相关（r  = –0.57 至 –0.66），以及与下滑时间（r  = 0.56–0.53）的大正相关。此外，下半身瘦体重与飞行阶段呈大到非常大的正相关（r  = 0.70-0.73）。总体而言，这些发现提供了一些洞察力，了解一个赛季内高性能游泳者的身体成分变化的潜在幅度、较低的身体力量-时间特征和游泳开始表现。增加的下肢瘦体重和 SJ 力-时间指标与开始表现方面的改进之间的大到非常大的相关性可能为教练和体育科学家提供有用的信息。