INTRODUCTION: Postural evaluation is important in any physical examination regarding both rehabilitation and prevention, with the possibility of acquiring conditions that will permit changing the inadequate or inefficient habits of any individual. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate and compare between genders the postural changes of swimming athletes and to determine the association of these changes with type of breathing. METHODOLOGY: Sixty athletes participated in the study, all of them filling out a chart with data about sex, age, main swimming style, time of practice of the sport and predominant type of breathing. A Sony DSC-W 130 Cyber-ShotTM camera and a WT3510A TM tripod were used for postural evaluation. The data were analyzed in a descriptive manner and the association between variables was determined by the Fisher exact test using the SAS TM 9 software. RESULTS: The crawl swimming style was the predominant one among the athletes, with men (49%) practicing unilateral breathing on the right and women (41%) on the left. Men (58%) presented more lumbar hyperlordosis and women (31%) right convex scoliosis (p = 0.01). there was an association between postural changes and type of breathing among males, with those who breathed on the right side having elevation of the left shoulder and convex scoliosis on the left (p = 0.02). CONCLUSION: The results revealed that athletes who breathe unilaterally on the right have more postural alterations. However, in view of the scarcity of published studies on postural evaluation associated with type of breathing in swimmers, new studies are needed.
Assessment; Posture; Swimming; Breathing
