Is there any kind of correlation between body weight and speed in the water? More specifically, if someone looses say 20% of their body weight (say from 200 to 160 lbs), and assuming that their skill does not improve and their power stays the same, will they swim faster at the lower weight? Seems like they should (less weight to drag through the water, likely less frontal area).
The secondary question would be whether the difference would be as dramatic as it would be in running or cycling (especially the gains you would make loosing that amount of weight and running a hilly course).
There is a guy on my Master’s team who keeps track of everything he does in the water and his weight on his blog. He’s one of the best masters swimmers in the country although he struggles a bit with weight. He has stated that he swims faster when he weighs less. But the difference is far less than running and cycling.
I think it will also depend on the amount of body fat. Say if you are 6 feet tall and going from 150 to 130 then I would say that you would not be faster and potentially could be slower. If you are going from 220 to 200 then better chance of being faster.
I am 6’ tall and my weigh is variable but usually weigh around 160 when racing. I find that I seem to be faster when I weigh a little bit more. Very unscientific.
I read an interview of (I think) Natalie Coughlin in Runner’s World Magazine, of all places (again my memory is a little fuzzy so names and places may be off but the general gist is correct).
She was talking about, in reference to her running routine, that she backs off on her running before a major swim comp to give her body some time to “fatten up”. She gave what she and her coach thought was an ideal body fat % (or it could have been her ideal swimming weight) but I don’t remember the exact number.
Keep in mind Natalie is not, by any measure, a fatty. Not even when she’s at “racing weight”.
It really depends on each individual person and their body composition. If your say 20%bf and you loose 8-10%bf and now your at 10-12%, then you’ll swim faster (most likely) with all things being equal. However, if your at say 8%bf and drop to 5% bf, your probably going to be slower (especially in the long distance stuff) due to not having fat to burn, not having much bouancy so you float lower and thus have more drag.
Fat makes you bigger and as much aerodynamics matters in cycling, hydrodynamics matters much much more in swimming. I have a hard time believing that added fat makes one faster.
Is there any kind of relation between body weight and speed in the water? More specifically, if someone looses say 20% of their body weight (say from 200 to 160 lbs), and assuming that their skill does not improve and their power stays the same, will they swim faster at the lower weight? Seems like they should (less weight to drag through the water, likely less frontal area).
The secondary question would be whether the difference would be as dramatic as it would be in running or cycling (especially the gains you would make loosing that amount of weight and running a hilly course).
Fat makes you bigger and as much aerodynamics matters in cycling, hydrodynamics matters much much more in swimming. I have a hard time believing that added fat makes one faster.
Styrrell
We may be talking about the same thing. Hydrodynamics = physics of water, no?
I see this is a problem where there is a buoyant force, several propulsive forces (kicking, pulls), a frictional force (drag), and hmmm I think that’s it. I don’t have enough physics knowledge to sort it out from there. Well, I guess I could draw a free body diagram of a stick person. Except we were talking about a fat person not a stick person
The secondary question would be whether the difference would be as dramatic as it would be in running or cycling (especially the gains you would make loosing that amount of weight and running a hilly course).
It’s definitely not as dramatic as it is for bike/run.
I’d be willing to bet these guys have a higher body fat % than a pro triathlete on race day (one that’s trying to win) or a pro cyclist. I’m not saying these guys are fat, just a little soft around the margins.
I’d be willing to bet these guys have a higher body fat % than a pro triathlete on race day (one that’s trying to win) or a pro cyclist. I’m not saying these guys are fat, just a little soft around the margins.
And on the whole, elite female swimmers don’t usually look that lean. Dara Torres being an obvious exception
