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Wetsuits, body density and swimming performance.

L Cordain1, R Kopriva

  • 1Department of Exercise and Sport Science, Colorado State University, Fort Collins 80523.

British Journal of Sports Medicine
|March 1, 1991
PubMed
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Wetsuits improve swimming performance by increasing buoyancy, benefiting leaner swimmers more. Neoprene leg bands, however, hinder performance in competitive female swimmers.

Area of Science:

  • Sports Science
  • Human Physiology
  • Biomechanics

Background:

  • Body composition significantly impacts athletic performance.
  • Buoyancy plays a crucial role in swimming efficiency.
  • Wetsuits are commonly used in open-water swimming to enhance performance and provide thermal insulation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the effect of body composition on swimming performance.
  • To determine the influence of wetsuits on swimming speed and efficiency.
  • To assess the impact of additional buoyancy aids (neoprene leg bands) on swimming performance.

Main Methods:

  • 14 competitive female swimmers participated in the study.
  • Body density was measured with and without wetsuits.
  • Swimmers completed 400m and 1500m trials with and without wetsuits, and with neoprene leg bands.

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Main Results:

  • Wetsuits significantly reduced swim times for both 400m (-4.96%) and 1500m (-3.23%) distances.
  • Neoprene leg bands increased swim times compared to wetsuit and swimsuit trials.
  • Swim times with wetsuits were inversely related to body density, indicating greater benefits for leaner swimmers.

Conclusions:

  • Wetsuits enhance swimming performance primarily by increasing buoyancy.
  • Leaner swimmers experience greater performance improvements from wetsuits compared to swimmers with higher body fat.
  • Neoprene leg bands negatively affect swimming performance, likely due to increased drag or altered body position.