Swimming
Sports > Swimming > Biomechanics & Physics
The Science of Swimming
Sport Science and medicine plays a very important part in the performance
of a swimmer. Science can help fine tune the athlete, as in the
end even a few hundredths of a second often decide the result of
races.
Biomechanics & Physics
Sports Biomechanics is the application of physics and mechanics to the human body during sport. In such a technical sport such as swimming, it plays a very important part. Humans aren't the best swimmers; we can swim at 5 mph compared to a sailfish which can move through the water at 65 mph.
Through the water
Water is 773 as dense as air and 55 times as viscous. From the start, the body position on the block must be maximized to achieve the most efficient push off and get the body in position to enter the water, to make the 'hole ' to follow in through. Biomechanics also helps to understand the best body position to reduce drag following the dive, to maximize the speed that is achieved off the blocks. After the push off the wall, body position is also important to have a streamlined glide away from the wall and reduce drag. For each stroke, the technique has developed over the years due to close examination and research by sports biomechanics staff.
Body Suits
Biomechanics is also involved in the development of the swimming suit, that is often seen on the world swimming stage. The friction due to the flow of water over the body of the swimmer causes drag and slows the swimmers down. Science has developed special swimming suits that, though several different principles, reduces this drag. In February 2008 the LZR Racer was released, followed by many others in the lead up to the 2008 Beijing Olmpics. Some of the attributes of these suits include ridges on the suit to reduce turbulence and flow the water around the body, tight fitting suits that give proprioceptive feedback to help keep body form in the water, and surface pockets that hold air or water particles in the surface layer of the suit (like dimples in a golf ball), reducing surface friction. After debating whether these suits should be allowed, FINA decided on these regulations to be in place from the World Championships in 2009:
- Suit no more than 1 mm thick
- suits not to extend past the shoulders or ankles
- no tailored suits
- no more than one suit at a time
Shaving Heads
Most swimmers wear a swimming cap, but others prefer to shave their heads and even the rest of their body in what they call a 'shave down' before a big race. For the same reason that swimmers will wear a body suit, the hair on the body causes drag in the water. Drag, otherwise known as resistance, slow the swimmer down. By making the head smooth and streamlined, water flows more smoothly over it. Latex or lycra caps can do the same thing for those that prefer to keep their hair on their heads.
Related Pages
- More information is available from the general pages of training, fitness testing, nutrition, biomechanics, and sports medicine.
- Biomechanics and Physics of Sports
