[Aims] The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between muscle mass and performance level of finswimmers in order to improve their performance.
[Methods] The subjects were 13 male university students (age: 20.5 ± 1.2 years, height: 172.1 ± 6.3 cm, body weight: 70.5 ± 6.7 kg, athletic career: 2.3 ± 1.5 years) who participated in the 2021 Finswimming Japan Championship. Measurement items were height, body weight, muscle mass, and 50-m swimming time using three techniques: crawl (C), bi-Fin (BF), and mono-Fin (MF). Muscle mass was measured in the upper extremity, lower extremity, and trunk using the In body 400 (In body Japan Inc.).
[Results] There was a significant correlation between muscle mass and 50-m swimming time in the C and BF groups; however, this was not found in the MF group (<Upper limbs> C: r = -0.540, BF: r = -0.682, MF: r = -0.305, <lower limbs> C: r = -0.559, BF: r = -0.623, MF: r = -0.147, <Trunk> C: r = -0.560, BF: r = -0.684, MF: r = -0.264;). The correlation coefficients between muscle mass and 50-m swimming time in the MF group were lower than those of the C and BF groups.
We suggest that one of the causes may be the participants’ unfamiliarity with MF skills as well as their muscle mass.
[Conclusion] It was shown that muscle mass in the upper and lower extremities and trunk had significant correlations with fin-swimmer’s performance level in the C and BF groups; however, this was not found in the MF group, which is considered a more difficult skill. Therefore, our findings suggest that it is important for Japanese college finswimmers to develop their muscle mass. Furthermore, they should also improve their MF skills to improve their performance level.
Keywords: finswimming, muscle mass, performance
