Evolution of documents related to strength training research on competitive swimmers: a bibliometric review

Abstract

Background: The purpose of this study is to conduct a bibliometric and scoping review to map the evolution of scientific literature on strength training in competitive swimmers.

Methods: Web of Science database was used considering the time frame between 1980 and 2024. The following terms were used to search documents: "swimmers", "strength", and "training". A total of 460 documents were included for statistical analysis.

Results: Until 2000, fewer than 5 manuscripts were published annually, and only after 2011 did the number regularly exceed 20, peaking in 2021 with 43 publications. Among the top 10 authors, 7 are Portuguese, each with at least 7 published papers. A total of 726 institutions were identified, with 29 having published at least 5 studies. The "Universidade da Beira Interior" had the most publications (20), while the "University of Copenhagen" received the most citations (619) with just 3 papers. Sixty countries contributed overall, with 10 publishing at least 20 documents; the United States of America led with 83. The most prominent keywords over time were "sports performance," "speed," and "swimming performance."

Conclusion: These results highlight that bibliometric analysis provides pertinent information, very useful regarding research trends and networks, aiming for future research on the topic of strength in swimmers.