Systematic review of 27 studies: adding strength training to swimming improved performance more than swim-only, but in-water resisted, swim-like dryland and non-specific dryland methods all gave similar gains (~2-2.5%)
No method is clearly best
Evidence base
27 studies met inclusion: strength-training interventions longer than 3 weeks in youth or older experienced swimmers, with clear pre/post performance results; databases PubMed, SPORTDiscus, Scopus; English only.
Three method families compared: in-water specific resistance training, dry-land swim-like resistance training, and non-specific dry-land strength training.
Key Findings
No clear consensus on which strength-training method is most beneficial for swimming performance — all methods had intervention groups that improved.
Combined swimming + strength training seemed to have a better effect on swimming performance than swim-only training.
The three main methods showed similar gains of about 2-2.5% in swimming performance, so specificity did not produce a clear winner.
Practical Application
Across 27 intervention studies in competitive swimmers, adding strength training to swimming beat swim-only, while in-water resisted, swim-like dryland and general dryland methods produced similar ~2-2.5% performance gains — add a strength block, and pick the method by practicality and the athlete's needs rather than by a claimed transfer advantage.
Not from this paper; the base's own practice: swimmers who need starts, turns and short-sprint speed usually lean toward heavier dryland and power work — that is coaching practice, not a finding of this review.
Limitations
Heterogeneous interventions, populations (youth to experienced) and outcomes; no pooled meta-analysis; optimal load, volume and in- vs out-of-water mix remain individual.
English-language studies only; abstract reports no breakdown by event distance.
How this entry was checked and changed
Content correction 2026-09-27
Entry's title claimed dryland strength/power improves "sprint swim performance, starts and turns — clearest benefits in the shorter events" and that benefits attenuate with distance -> the abstract makes no claim about starts, turns, sprint vs distance events; it reports no consensus on the best method, all methods improved performance, combined swim + strength beat swim-only, and similar gains of 2-2.5% across the three methods.
Removed the "heavy resistance and combined in-water resisted work" as the winning approach (not in the abstract); the sprint/starts/turns emphasis is now labelled as the base's own practice.
Added the evidence base (27 studies, >3-week interventions, three method families). Tier set to 2-3 (youth or older experienced competitive swimmers) from "mixed".