The Fastest Age

If you take two 50 year old Masters swimmers of same natural starting ability, but one who swam as an age grouper, one who started as an adult, I think the age group swimmer probably would have an advantage, but not because of some VO2 theory. I think children learn things easier than an adult. They seem to have a natural feel for the water. Add to that that age group swimming incorporates a whole bunch of technique work at an early age. As adults, we want to get to the meat of the work-out. Every Masters practice I have been at, people usually groan if they have to do a lot of drill practice. Adults just want to swim, not do the slow and sometimes tedious work of the technique. (this includes me, hah) So these two swimmers of similiar age and similiar natural ability probably will not swim the same because the former age grouper through the process of being trained in technique as a child has formed good muscle memory. Now if you take the adult swimmer and make them go through the same drill and technique process that an age grouper goes through from age 5-12, then maybe by age 60 they could even out.

If you take two 50 year old Masters swimmers of same natural starting ability, but one who swam as an age grouper, one who started as an adult, I think the age group swimmer probably would have an advantage, but not because of some VO2 theory. I think children learn things easier than an adult. They seem to have a natural feel for the water. Add to that that age group swimming incorporates a whole bunch of technique work at an early age. As adults, we want to get to the meat of the work-out. Every Masters practice I have been at, people usually groan if they have to do a lot of drill practice. Adults just want to swim, not do the slow and sometimes tedious work of the technique. (this includes me, hah) So these two swimmers of similiar age and similiar natural ability probably will not swim the same because the former age grouper through the process of being trained in technique as a child has formed good muscle memory. Now if you take the adult swimmer and make them go through the same drill and technique process that an age grouper goes through from age 5-12, then maybe by age 60 they could even out.