Countermovement jump and pull-up performance before and after a swimming race in preparatory and competitive phases of a swimming season

Purpose: Monitoring performance athletes’ training responses can be efficiently completed at competitive events. This study aimed to explore the changes in swimming, countermovement jump (CMJ) and pull-up (PU) performance following training across a competitive phase, as well as immediately before (PRE) and after (POST) each race. Methods: Fourteen well-trained male sprint/middle-distance swimmers (height 179 ± 7 cm; mass 70 ± 8 kg; age: 18 ± 2 years), from 3 regional training groups, completed CMJ and PU tests PRE and POST national competitions in October (PREP phase) and May (COMP), when race performance was also assessed. Results: Swimming race performance was significantly improved from PREP to COMP (1.8 ± 3.2 %, p = 0.044, d = 0.60, moderate effect). Although there were no significant changes in PU velocity, CMJ performance significantly improved from PREP to COMP (Mean difference 2.29 cm, p = 0.004, d = 3.52) and showed PRE to POST race decreases (Mean difference -1.64 cm, p = 0.04, d = 2.28). Conclusion: Swimming performance and CMJ performance improved as the season progressed, although these improvements were not directly correlated. PU performance did not appear to be sensitive to training or race-induced fatigue, in contrast to CMJ, in this group of male swimmers.