Tempo de reação e o desempenho motor do nado crawl em diferentes estágios de aprendizagem

Abstract

Reaction time is considered an important motor ability and, along with a few others, makes up a motor bottom line that allows people to perform more complex movement tasks either with a lower or higher performance level. The relationship between motor abilities and the execution of elaborate movements hinges on factors such as the movement specific aspects and on the performer’s learning level. This study inquired into the relationship as between the outcomes of both simple and choice reaction times and the motor performance of the crawl swimming style. A group of 57 young people, ranked in the beginning, intermediate and advanced learning levels, was sampled. For the swimming style assessment, a test that allows for evaluating and scoring technical performance was applied. The assessment of reaction times was done by software that measures the time lag between a given visual stimulus and the release of a given key previously pressed by a finger on the keyboard. For comparisons across groups, at a p<0.05 significance level, descriptive statistics, a Spearman correlation test as between the swimming style performances and their reaction times, as well as a one-way ANOVA and a Tukey post-hoc were applied. A statistically significant correlation between the style performance and the reaction time was found within the overall group. When learning levels were taking into account, this correlation was significant within the beginners (r = -0.845 and r = -0.850 for, respectively, simple and choice reaction time) and within the advanced (r = -0.471 for choice reaction time). The results point to the general importance of reaction time for the swimming performance, chiefly for that of beginners’ and advancers’. Moreover, they seem to bring out the likely existence of an incomplete motor programming in the initial phase of the swimming style. It is claimed, therefore, there would be need to search for new motor plans to improve coordination during the movement performance and to help meet both the structural and the environmental requirements of the task.