Ingeborg Ljødal

• Loisel, Camille; Olstad, Bjørn Harald; Guignard, Brice; Ljødal, Ingeborg; Gonjo, Tomohiro & Seifert, Ludovic (2026). Cycle-to-cycle kinematic variability management in short course 100 m breaststroke. Sports Biomechanics. ISSN 1476-3141. doi: 10.1080/14763141.2026.2733968. Full text in Research Archive
• Staub, Ilka; Brinkschulte, Michel; Costa, Aldo M.; Costa, Mario J.; Martelaer, Kristine De & D’Hondt, Eva [Show all 20 contributors for this article] (2026). Inter rater reliability of practical assessment criteria for aquatic literacy in children. Discover Education. 5(1). doi: 10.1007/s44217-026-01842-x. Full text in Research Archive
• Santos, Catarina C.; Garrido, Nuno D.; Costa, Aldo M.; Mekkaoui, Léa; Potdevin, François & Kwasna, Anna [Show all 19 contributors for this article] (2026). Test-Retest Reliability of the ALFAC Test Battery to Measure Aquatic Motor Skills Among Children Aged 6 to 12 Years. Measurement in Physical Education and Exercise Science. ISSN 1091-367X. doi: 10.1080/1091367X.2026.2713484. Full text in Research Archive
• Mekkaoui, Léa; Vogt, Tobias; Camporelli, Fabien; Costa, Aldo M.; Costa, Mário Jorge & Martelaer, Kristine De [Show all 21 contributors for this article] (2025). Improving Water Safety and Long-term Engagement in Aquatic Physical Activity: The Aquatic Literacy Framework. Journal of teaching in physical education. ISSN 0273-5024. doi: 10.1123/jtpe.2024-0244. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Young people worldwide are affected by two main health-related issues: physical inactivity and drowning accidents. Encouraging participation in aquatic physical activities in a safe way could address this dual concern. Aligning theoretical frameworks of physical literacy and water competencies could empower young people with key skills to engage safely and sustainably in aquatic environments. The aim of this theoretical paper is to provide a philosophical, ontological, and epistemological rationale for merging these two frameworks into a new concept: aquatic literacy. The multidimensional concept is presented and describes the intertwined physical, psychosocial, and cognitive domains, which provide a means to empower young people to safely enjoy aquatic opportunities and achieve individual health benefits. This new concept needs supportive empirical data, such as the level of individuals in each domain of aquatic literacy, to be a strong framework for guiding aquatic educators and stakeholders to better engage and protect people worldwide.

• Olstad, Bjørn Harald; Hunger, Lea; Ljødal, Ingeborg; Ringhof, Steffen & Gonjo, Tomohiro (2024). The relationship between load-velocity profiles and 50 m breaststroke performance in national-level male swimmers. Journal of Sports Sciences. ISSN 0264-0414. 42(16), p. 1512–1518. doi: 10.1080/02640414.2024.2397234. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  This study investigated the relationships between load-velocity profiling and 50 m breaststroke performance. Twenty-seven male swimmers qualified for the national championship participated and performed a 50 m breaststroke trial with a multicamera system. The total race time (t50 m), forward velocity during surface swimming (v50 m), stroke length, and stroke frequency were obtained from the automatic post-processing of the system. Afterwards, the participants performed semi-tethered swimming with three external loads using a robotic resistance device. The average velocity from three stroke cycles was plotted as a function of the corresponding load. The theoretical maximum velocity (v0) and load (L0), L0 normalized to body mass, steepness of the regression line (slope), and active drag (AD) were calculated. The main findings were moderate to large correlations of two 50 m race variables (t50 m and v50 m) with v0, L0, and AD (t50 m range: r = -.444 to r = -.619, p = .020 to p = .001), (v50 m range: r = .451 to r = .568, p = .018 to p = .002). This shows the importance of applying maximum propulsive force to achieve high swimming performance and that load-velocity profiling is an indicator of 50 m breaststroke performance. Load-velocity measurements over time can also monitor velocity, strength, and drag-minimizing abilities, explaining performance changes and training effects.

• Gonjo, Tomohiro; Vitazka, Maria; Ljødal, Ingeborg & Olstad, Bjørn Harald (2024). The Load-Velocity Slope Is an Indicator of the Active Drag in all Competitive Swimming Strokes. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. ISSN 0195-9131. 57(1), p. 115–122. doi: 10.1249/MSS.0000000000003551. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Introduction: Active drag in swimming is a critical variable that affects swimmers’ performance as well as the physiological load, but it is challenging for practitioners to assess this variable. This study aimed to assess if the load-velocity profiling method can be used as an indicator of active drag. Methods: A total of 419 swimmers performed three semi-tethered swimming trials in their speciality among the four competitive strokes with different external loads. Linear regression between external load and swimming velocity, as well as the external load relative to the body mass and swimming velocity, were established. The active drag and drag coefficient of each swimmer were calculated using a velocity perturbation method. Conclusions: These results indicate that the absolute load-velocity slope is a strong indicator of the active drag, and the relative slope is useful when indirectly assessing the drag coefficient.

• Ljødal, Ingeborg; Olstad, Bjørn Harald & Pensgaard, Anne Marte (2023). Motives, Motivation, and Motivational Climate of Young Norwegian Swimmers, and their Parents’ Belief. Scandinavian Sport Studies Forum. 14, p. 151–175. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Motivation is important for enjoyment, skill development, and persistence in swimming. The quality and direction of motivation is influenced by a swimmer’s perceived motivational climate, which is created by coaches and parents. The theoretical framework combines self-determination theory and achievement goal theory, to analyse the motives and motivation of swimmers and the influence of social climate on their motivation. Parents greatly impact young children’s participation motives and motivation, but few studies ask parents about their beliefs about their child’s motives and motivation. Online questionnaires were distributed to 11-13-year-old swimmers and their parents. The children responded to five questionnaires measuring sport participation motives, self-determined motivation, goal orientation, coach-initiated motivational climate, and parent-initiated motivational climate. Parents responded to the first two indicating their belief in their child’s motives and self-determined motivation. Results showed that swimmers are predominantly intrinsically motivated, task oriented, and perceive a mastery climate from coaches and parents. Parent’s belief of their child’s motives and self-determined motivation matched the swimmers’ self-reported motives and self-determined motivation. Coaches are shown to impact self-determined motivation and goal orientations to a greater extent than parents. In conclusion, coaches and parents should aim to maintain their current focus on mastery and enjoyment. This can ensure longer participation in and greater enjoyment of the sport, which would lead to further development and improved performance.

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