I'm sure many of you are already aware of this article on about.com It reviews a couple of studies that try to explain why swimmers tend to have more body fat than other athletes.
Thought if you weren't aware of the article you might find it interesting.
swimming.about.com/.../offsite.htm
Lainey
Parents
Former Member
I was definitely a runner for a good 6 years. I ate like a horse then and eat like a horse now (do horses really eat a lot or is that one of those urban myth things?)
I ran b/c it was super easy. I ran through pain, often to injury. I enjoyed running alone b/c I am an outgoing person but I still need that little of me time.
I don't run much any more b/c after years and years of gymnastics and distance road running my joints hurt if I run more than 10 miles. (and sometimes 2 or 3)
I think if you look at the elite swimmers and you look at the elite runners they are all pretty fit looking. Sprinters tend to bulkier than their distance counterparts in running. The sprinters are either all roided up or they are all full of fast twitch muscles or both. Distance runners tend to look almost emaciated. That is NOT the ideal body type in my mind. Sprinters in swimming tend to be longer and leaner and distance swimmers CAN get away with a few extra pounds, perhaps b/c they need to conserve a little more heat?
Super distance swimmers that swim in cold water (Lynne Cox comes to mind) need more body fat to keep warmer. Runners don't want to lug all that lard.
You burn more calories running at a good clip for an hour than you do swimming at a good clip for an hour.
I think swimming is more tiring.
Apparently the least transferable exercise is cross country skiing. It's hardest for all athletes to adapt. I'm not sure where I heard that or if it is true.
I was definitely a runner for a good 6 years. I ate like a horse then and eat like a horse now (do horses really eat a lot or is that one of those urban myth things?)
I ran b/c it was super easy. I ran through pain, often to injury. I enjoyed running alone b/c I am an outgoing person but I still need that little of me time.
I don't run much any more b/c after years and years of gymnastics and distance road running my joints hurt if I run more than 10 miles. (and sometimes 2 or 3)
I think if you look at the elite swimmers and you look at the elite runners they are all pretty fit looking. Sprinters tend to bulkier than their distance counterparts in running. The sprinters are either all roided up or they are all full of fast twitch muscles or both. Distance runners tend to look almost emaciated. That is NOT the ideal body type in my mind. Sprinters in swimming tend to be longer and leaner and distance swimmers CAN get away with a few extra pounds, perhaps b/c they need to conserve a little more heat?
Super distance swimmers that swim in cold water (Lynne Cox comes to mind) need more body fat to keep warmer. Runners don't want to lug all that lard.
You burn more calories running at a good clip for an hour than you do swimming at a good clip for an hour.
I think swimming is more tiring.
Apparently the least transferable exercise is cross country skiing. It's hardest for all athletes to adapt. I'm not sure where I heard that or if it is true.
