We all know that drafting off someone allows you to go faster with less effort, I am wondering if being drafted off of slows one down? Anyone know?
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Former Member
My understanding of the physics of drafting in motor racing is that both the drafter AND draftee experience fuel savings as a result of drafting. The leader experiences less back end "suction" from air masses that would normally collapse in behind his car (creating eddys and other turbulence) are now shunted to the the rear of the drafting vehicle. The drafting vehicle experiences even greater fuel savings than the leader because he is spared the larger frontal resistance that is still the leader's to bear.
But, BOTH experience fuel savings due to drafting. Same in cycling, though to a smaller degree.
An ornithologist friend who dabbles in physics indicates that roughly the same is true of birds flying "in formation" - all including the leader benefit from the drafting process, the leader just gets less benefit than the rest.
Same for fully submerged bodies in water.
I can't tell you precisely how this translates to swimming though as there is a huge added variable because swimming is performed at the surface. How turbulence/waves/eddys etc are created and dissapated at the air/water boundary are entirely different than underwater.
My understanding of the physics of drafting in motor racing is that both the drafter AND draftee experience fuel savings as a result of drafting. The leader experiences less back end "suction" from air masses that would normally collapse in behind his car (creating eddys and other turbulence) are now shunted to the the rear of the drafting vehicle. The drafting vehicle experiences even greater fuel savings than the leader because he is spared the larger frontal resistance that is still the leader's to bear.
But, BOTH experience fuel savings due to drafting. Same in cycling, though to a smaller degree.
An ornithologist friend who dabbles in physics indicates that roughly the same is true of birds flying "in formation" - all including the leader benefit from the drafting process, the leader just gets less benefit than the rest.
Same for fully submerged bodies in water.
I can't tell you precisely how this translates to swimming though as there is a huge added variable because swimming is performed at the surface. How turbulence/waves/eddys etc are created and dissapated at the air/water boundary are entirely different than underwater.
