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
Former Member
Extra weight is a hindrance. But one thing to consider is the buoyancy factor which comes along with it. An elite triathlete with little or no body fat will sink like a stone if they exhaled and tried to float. An English Channel swimmer offsets drag caused by gravity because of their girth. They float.
Gilligan however could probably kick the Skipper's ass in a 50.
• Archimedes' principle. A body in water is buoyed up by a force equal to the weight of the water displaced. When the weight of the water you displace is greater than your weight, you float, because the force of buoyancy is greater than the force of gravity.
• Specific gravity. People float at very different heights in the water -- why? The ratio of the weight of a body to the weight of the water it displaces is its specific gravity. Pure water has a specific gravity of 1.0; this is the standard against which other objects are compared. A body with a specific gravity less than 1.0 floats; one with a specific gravity greater than 1.0 sinks. People with lots of muscle, heavy bone structure, and little body fat do not float as easily as those with more body fat and less muscle. Females generally are better floaters than men (the average female has 21 to 24 percent body fat, while the average male has 15 to 20 percent); so, too, are very young children (who have more fat weight and less muscle) and older people
Water is the great equalizer.
Underestimating someone's ability due to girth can be a big misconception.
Lean and mean is great for sprinting. That's a given.
But a plus sized athlete can still offer quite a challenge in the distance events or open water marathons.
I have to agree with you. I'm tall, lanky and a sprinter. I remember doing the swim leg of a triathlon relay and coming out of the water behind a woman that was at least 20 lbs heavier than me....and I had swam as hard as I could!
Just to clarify--not so much argue with your pionts. I don't think a plus size is someone carrying 20lb or so. Just b/c you don't have 6 pack doesn't make you "fat."
PS A little wiggle on a lady is a nice thing...not saying no wiggle is bad either...
It seems y'all are saying the same thing but with respect to proportion. "heavier" or "bigger" i'm sure is not obese just not the stick thin runway model. I think less fat is better to a point.
I am probably typical of Tris. A full breathe of air and I will still sink to the bottom. My biggest struggle is getting into a proper swimming position because my legs sink to easily. I hate cold water, but love my sleeveless wetsuit!
I've always been confused with the difference between Piersol and Phelps' physiques, but they are both FAST!
Rich:
I am in the no wiggle school of thought. Inner thighs suck.
Leslie without being a perv about it (a stretch for me I know). I saw your legs at Zones...and you have nothing to worry about. Besides you have blonde hair...
Fat has no place in sports (except the NFL trenches or in some cases baseball)
My opinion.
I can't agree with this. Excessive fat yes, but there is a tipping point where a little weight may be of assistance for momentum, and stamina. Not everyone is built to be ripped. I think that our ancestors that had a moderate amount of fat on their bodies fared better in harsh conditions.
Muscly extremes is an aesthetic thing, part of the youthcentric culture that is both a boon and a plague.
Johnny Weissmuller was not ripped. Charlie Atlas was fat compared to today's body builder. Soccer players were "smoother" compared to now.
For top pro athletes with the 100% nutrition and rest supporting "life infrastructure" (and funds) perhaps 0 bodyfat is sustainable, and of limited risk.
For the rest of us including good athletes...a little fat won't hurt, and may be of benefit.
Rich: It wasn't my blonde hair that led to success in evilstroke. ;)
Well do more BR and you insecurity about your admirable thighs will be unfounded even further.
No thanks. That race was enough to last me a year or so.
I'm not insecure. I just prefer no wiggle. I'm going on a run soon, so that should help. I'm sure I'm still lean and mean enough to beat you up. ;)
Hah...you aim so low...
I think for sprinters (50M and over in 20 plus seconds with little breathing), excess weight is negative, therefore most sprinters are long and lean. Alexander Popov, Roland Mark Schoeman, Inge De Bruijn. However middle to long distance requries more breathing and longer gliding phase to preserve energy, buoancy helps. Look at Ian Thorpe, at 6'5 and at one point 230 lbs, hardly chiseled at all.
Posted by Geochuck:
www.youtube.com/watch
Fat has no place in sports (except the NFL trenches or in some cases baseball)
I have yo yoed my weight over the years and feel the benefits taking the weight off.
Here I am in the old days 218lbs not skinny not fat
