Here's my question: Should one intentionally loose muscle mass and weightlifting strength in order to be more streamlined and potentially go faster in the water? How much mass would one have to lose in order to present less resistance in the water?
Maybe on a related note: Let's say a swimmer has a muscular build, and their technique is very good, would they benefit from losing ten lbs. of extra muscle mass and maybe becoming a more streamlined vessel?
Any thoughts? :weightlifter::banana::weightlifter::banana:
I disagree with this. I believe that the loss in WEIGHT makes you faster, and that it is better to lose fat than muscle (which, after all, provides propulsion). Buoyancy complicates this a little, but not much in my opinion. Greatly simplified (perhaps oversimplified), it is all about F = ma: a given force will produce more acceleration when acting on a lighter object.
I should have clarified my statement perhaps. I agree with you that losing any weight should make a person faster as long as they don't lose strength as a result of losing weight. My assertion was, that as a relative newbie to swimming, losing body fat probably isn't going to make me faster without the required increase in work to lose the body fat.
I don't believe there is proof that lighter is faster, all things being equal. Today's modern athletes are bigger, stronger, heavier and faster than ever. Knock 30 pounds off of your favorite athlete and tell me if you'd really think they'd be as fast, strong or dominant. I doubt they would.
You're not keeping all things equal. If you compare two athletes who are identical in every way except for weight (obviously they are two theoretical athletes:confused:), the lighter one will accelerate more quickly with the same exerted force. Knocking 30 pounds off a lean, elite athlete would result in that athlete not being able to exert as much force.
I disagree with this. I believe that the loss in WEIGHT makes you faster, and that it is better to lose fat than muscle (which, after all, provides propulsion). Buoyancy complicates this a little, but not much in my opinion. Greatly simplified (perhaps oversimplified), it is all about F = ma: a given force will produce more acceleration when acting on a lighter object.
I should have clarified my statement perhaps. I agree with you that losing any weight should make a person faster as long as they don't lose strength as a result of losing weight. My assertion was, that as a relative newbie to swimming, losing body fat probably isn't going to make me faster without the required increase in work to lose the body fat.
I don't believe there is proof that lighter is faster, all things being equal. Today's modern athletes are bigger, stronger, heavier and faster than ever. Knock 30 pounds off of your favorite athlete and tell me if you'd really think they'd be as fast, strong or dominant. I doubt they would.
You're not keeping all things equal. If you compare two athletes who are identical in every way except for weight (obviously they are two theoretical athletes:confused:), the lighter one will accelerate more quickly with the same exerted force. Knocking 30 pounds off a lean, elite athlete would result in that athlete not being able to exert as much force.
