Muscle power predicts freestyle swimming performance.
Swimming performances over 50 m and 400 m and distances per stroke in each were related to practical measures of muscle power. Peak power and mean power were determined for both sets of limbs. A maximal sustained power output test for the upper body was used to measure peak-sustained workload. Males performed significantly faster and with greater stroke distances in the 50-m sprint than did females however, there were no gender differences in either factor over 400 m. All measures of power were significantly higher for males than females.