Hi all - I have an odd post for you to ponder :)
Recently I've decided enough is enough and it's time to shift some unwanted poundage. Over the past few months through exercise and eating much better I've dropped about 15% of my original body weight, going from 207lbs to 175lbs. At the same time I've been swimming a bit and making an effort to keep on some muscle too.
I know it's a very very hard question to answer but am looking for people's estimates on what this sort of weight loss would do to your swimming time over longer distances if I was able to keep everything else static (stroke, flexibility, strengtht etc). The only difference if possible would be there would be less body weight, and hopefully a better shape for moving through the water.
I know that due to water being denser it's not as easy to say as it would be in relation to running etc, but say over a 5km open water swim, what would people guess the % improvement would be as a result of this?
Cheers
GC
wow! I've been 5'10" since I was 16/17. I haven't been under 165lbs since my junior yr in HS. was 179 when I stopped swimming and 184 now.
As I mentioned, the formula is very general, and it is probably based on a medium build. It probably should only be used as a reference point.
I personally believe that each person has a unique ideal weight at which he/she best races at. What may be too light for one person, may be ideal for another. What may be too heavy for one person, may be ideal for another. For example, I knew a gal that was the same height and build as I and she performed best in swimming at a weight that is 10 to 15 pounds heavier than where I felt I raced the best. When she lost weight and weighed what I did, she lost all of her strength and her times suffered.
Crissy Ahmann-Leighton held the American record in 100 fly (SCY) at 5'8" and 115. Natalie Coughlin later broke the American record in 100 fly (SCY) at the same height and weighed 140.
In looking at weight and athletic performance what I think it boils down to is your power to weight ratio and the medium you are moving through. And of course, we can't forget that good technique can trump a superior power to weight ratio!
wow! I've been 5'10" since I was 16/17. I haven't been under 165lbs since my junior yr in HS. was 179 when I stopped swimming and 184 now.
As I mentioned, the formula is very general, and it is probably based on a medium build. It probably should only be used as a reference point.
I personally believe that each person has a unique ideal weight at which he/she best races at. What may be too light for one person, may be ideal for another. What may be too heavy for one person, may be ideal for another. For example, I knew a gal that was the same height and build as I and she performed best in swimming at a weight that is 10 to 15 pounds heavier than where I felt I raced the best. When she lost weight and weighed what I did, she lost all of her strength and her times suffered.
Crissy Ahmann-Leighton held the American record in 100 fly (SCY) at 5'8" and 115. Natalie Coughlin later broke the American record in 100 fly (SCY) at the same height and weighed 140.
In looking at weight and athletic performance what I think it boils down to is your power to weight ratio and the medium you are moving through. And of course, we can't forget that good technique can trump a superior power to weight ratio!
