I was just wondering. At what point is ones swimming career while they realise that they have hit the wall, and then sur passed it and they cant possibly go faster??
The reason I ask is because Phelphs is "retiring" after the 2012 games.
But then I see athlets go out and compete that are well into their late 20's and early 30's.
What is the averge prime age for a male swimmer before times start becoming slower???
Former Member
Im glad to hear that the age is at a higher level that say running. Im 24 and It is great to hear that I have a lot still in front of me.
Im also curious, why is it so much higher than other sports, i have watched track and field and people retire at like 28 - 32 if not sooner.
Former Member
I don't think there is a specific age where swimmers start to get slower because of age in their 20's or even 30's. This is just my opinion, but some of the time swimmers who compete at that level just get tired of making swimming a fulltime job. Their whole lifestyle must be centered around swimming their event if they are going to compete at the highest levels.
Others might want to try other pursuits in life, or use their swimming expertise for the betterment of other swimmers and the sport of swimming.
Former Member
Im glad to hear that the age is at a higher level that say running. Im 24 and It is great to hear that I have a lot still in front of me.
Im also curious, why is it so much higher than other sports, i have watched track and field and people retire at like 28 - 32 if not sooner.
Because training for the elite level of swimming takes a lot more time, effort and intensity than in any other sport. Plus there are not many opportunities to make a living as an athlete in swimming.
You can keep getting stronger and buidling muscle well past 50 (didn't mean to imply it was all downhill at 50!), but realistically at 62, it's not possible to get back to where i was at 19 in '68 when i stopped swimming seriously and was in my best condition. From about age 50, it has been harder to find the time and energy. Finaly kicked myself in the tail and got going again about 4 months back and have been relatively (for my condition) successful at building strength and muscle, aerobic conditioning, and working on technique in the pool. Muscles are growing (that's clear) and fat is going, I can lift more, swim more distance, and hold better RIs, than when i started 4 mos back, but its been quite a bit slower, required more work and determination than it did in 20s, 30s and 40s to make a difference. I've been trying to adjust stroke techniques, conditioning, and diet and see how much i can recover. Will get some times (first ones in about 15 yrs.) at SCM masters meet in about 1.5 weeks as a base to use for future comparisons. I'm hoping being older and smarter will help development; USMS and reading these forums is certainly contributed to getting smarter. Thanks all and USMS.
Former Member
42
I thought it was 33.33 years old.
Former Member
I thought it was 33.33 years old.
Even at 33.33 years of age, or even 42. Im just happy to know that I still have a long road ahead of me and that I didnt decide to start swimming and competing to late in my life. Here I was thinking that know that I have the ability to go to college, that 24 is not to old to get great times and maintain it for 4 years or more.
Former Member
42
I think the real answer is something like 32. But that is only if you trained as a professional level swimmer from age 18 onwards.
But I agre that there is no reason that you cannot be faster at age 42 than you were at 32 - or even 22 - if you simply train and swim smarter.
Former Member
When you get older you have to train differently... less yardage, more high-quality yardage.
The obvious poster child of excelling past 40 is Dara Torres. She has written a couple books about swimming, not sure if she discusses her plans there. However, her stroke when she came back into the water with Richard Quick evolved into something very different than what she made her first Olympics at age 14... see the Bill Boomer Morning Swim Show interview about leopards and cheetahs for more details.
Jason Lezak was 32 in Beijing when he threw down the fastest 100 free relay split in history.
Both these swimmers swim far less now than they did as age groupers and in college. As great as their form is (which is significantly more efficient/less strenuous for the body than the average swimmer), you can't keep grinding out those millions of shoulder rotations without musculoskeletal consequences.
The body stops gaining muscle mass (I think especially fast twitch muscles get harder to maintain but I don't have a study so don't hold me to that) as easily starting in the 30s.... the advantage that older athletes have over their younger selves is greater experience and better imprinted neural patterns for how to swim (assuming proper form has been imprinted into the brain through the years).
As to the original question:
At what point is ones swimming career while they realise that they have hit the wall, and then sur passed it and they cant possibly go faster??
As John Barrymore said... "A Man Is Not Old Until Regrets Take the Place of Dreams".... there's always something you can improve in. I know it's kinda zen, but ultimately you kill off any potential to go faster when YOU decide you can't get any faster.
Former Member
I was just wondering. At what point is ones swimming career while they realise that they have hit the wall, and then sur passed it and they cant possibly go faster??
The reason I ask is because Phelphs is "retiring" after the 2012 games.
But then I see athlets go out and compete that are well into their late 20's and early 30's.
What is the averge prime age for a male swimmer before times start becoming slower???
Swimmers often retire way way before having reached this wall.
The reason why they feel like opting out, is that they finally want to get a life. When you've spend 10-15years in a row with virtually no social life, at one point you feel like experiencing something else (like harmony with your couple? Maybe try to have and raise kids?).
Therefore it has very little to do with physical limitation per se.
Often so, times are becoming slower not as a consequence of physical limitations (although certain injuries never entirely go away, this places quite a stress mentally speaking), but rather as a result of diminuishing the commitment to their sport. They don't train as much, or don't train as well. Bottom line, unless you hit mid 30s early 40s, given you're lucky with your (recurring) injury record, you should constantly improve. But social / family obligations will come in the way, unless you're a social freak having began swimming at age 5, very seriously by age 10, and still eat kilos and drink pool water day in day out without getting bored without feeling the need to find mates without feeling the need to see your friends etc...
Former Member
Wow, what a lot of info!!! All of you guys are great. And to answer some questions. I swam one year in high school so I did not get an early start. My last meet was in 2005. Im just getting back into swimming and for some reason I am swimming very well and I don't understand how. It is only week 4 back from not swimming since 2005 and Im beating my high school tmes already and Im now one of the fastest Fliers on the team.
It is great to know that there is so much more ahead to come.
Also, Im not much of a social butterfly, haha. But I do manage working, swimming like 10-15 hours a week, having some social life and being able to sleep and do what any normal person my age does. Im 24, have no kids, and not married so I know that makes a big difference.