Shaving

RE: Shaving

Former Member — Mon, 04 May 2009 16:25:58 GMT

yep, swimming with no hair definitely feels different and is faster.

RE: Shaving

Former Member — Mon, 04 May 2009 16:19:08 GMT

So, if shaving reduces sensory input, does that mean we're tricked into putting out more energy to re-achieve the same feeling, thus making us go faster? Are we that gullible? Perhaps there are other tricks we could pull on ourselves to go faster! I thought the act of shaving removed hair and skin and exposed a more direct path to the nerve endings.....or, in some cases, might have removed the nerve ending altogether in those oops moments....

RE: Shaving

Former Member — Mon, 04 May 2009 15:00:30 GMT

There was an article in USMS Swimmer in the July-August 2007 issue that discussed shaving down. The removal of hair reduces the stimuli to the central nervous system. "By removing the hair and skin, a swimmer decreases his senory input and enhances his performance through an improvement in his motor output" Thanks! Thats what I meant by the feel. I do not have must body hair so the drag reduction is not a big a deal. I shave for the feel in the water. Maybe it is mental, maybe it drag reduction, but what ever it is..……..I swim faster.

RE: Shaving

Former Member — Mon, 04 May 2009 14:31:44 GMT

I have attached the article I was quoting from. You can also access the information on the USMS Swimmer web site in the July - August 2007 issue. 1445

RE: Shaving

Former Member — Mon, 04 May 2009 14:15:03 GMT

Ya, I can image that a decrease in CNS activity takes place. Maybe the hairs are like little feelers. No hair, no message sent via the hairs to the CNS. I'm not sure I understand how a decrease in sensory input increases motor output, though. Do the hairs send a message to the nervous system to take it easy? I'm not being trite. I'm honestly asking.

RE: Shaving

Former Member — Mon, 04 May 2009 13:25:22 GMT

RE: Shaving

Former Member — Mon, 04 May 2009 12:01:42 GMT

bkbain, If its been a while since college, I think its great to ask these kinds of questions. Time, research, and change have dissolved many of the old swimming myths. I remember the one you are talking about. I think it's pretty clear that one was a myth. We used to shave the palms of our hands to remove "old skin" for an increase in feel...hilarious. But we believed in it, so it probably had some kind of stupid mental effect. Actually, I take it back. It was ridiculous and had no effect.

RE: Shaving

Former Member — Mon, 04 May 2009 11:35:45 GMT

a general rule of thumb suggests you can reasonably expect to drop 3-4% from your in season time after shaving. for example, if you race a 100 freestyle in 60 seconds and then go into the locker room and shave come back out and race another 100, and everything goes approximately the same as the first race, statistics tell us that you will drop 1.8 - 2.4 seconds. In other words, you should go between 57.6 and 58.2. I actually did a research experiment much the same way and these are the results I got. It is also supported by other similar research. You sound pretty hairy. You might qualify for olympic trials if you shave.

RE: Shaving

Former Member — Mon, 04 May 2009 07:36:20 GMT

I had heard that the rich humor of Italians had gone by the wayside. It appears not to be true.

RE: Shaving

Former Member — Mon, 04 May 2009 07:28:53 GMT

I often wonder how much of a time drop I'd get if I shaved. I kept on saying I'd do it during the team's season, but now that's over and I'm still a forest. If you know me, you know shaving for me wouldn't exactly be anything less than a massive, epic endeavor. I'd be shaving long enough for environmentalists to pop up on the hairless areas of my skin crying about deforestation. I mean, I'm not saying if I shaved, I'd have like a "OH MY GOD IN HEAVEN A FIVE SECOND DROP" result, but I'm almost positive I'd cut a second or two. I'm half Italian, after all. As for the tops of feet... why would the coach have said not to shave that area? I don't get what the benefit there is supposed to be. Looking at the tops of my feet, it looks like two cockroaches are using them to sunbathe. I'm pretty sure that doesn't help in the water.

RE: Shaving

knelson — Mon, 04 May 2009 03:12:24 GMT

I don't shave the insides of my arms. You don't want to reduce the drag on that surface. The phase of the stroke where you start pulling water is called the "catch" after all, not the "slip." :) In all honesty, it probably doesn't make much difference, but I guess I'm old school.

RE: Shaving

Former Member — Sun, 03 May 2009 12:58:33 GMT

Shaving hair off your body reduces friction drag. This reduction in drag results in an increase in speed. The reduction in drag is slight, approximately 3-4%. When you swim faster you can feel the water pressing on your body in a different, more significant way. This is one reason why swimmers claim to have an increased kinesthetic feel after shaving. If you are shaving everything but your feet and forearms, I don't think you are going to be any faster or slower. I'm guessing the effect would be negligible.

RE: Shaving

Former Member — Sun, 03 May 2009 05:57:09 GMT

Shaving reduces drag. The "feel" is nonsense. I get more of a numb sensation in the water with no body hair. I really doubt that hair gives grip on the arms or feet. Shave everywhere.

RE: Shaving

Speedo — Sun, 03 May 2009 03:03:32 GMT

Agree with Jazz- hair lets you know you're moving. Shaving is more important to me for drag reduction. I'd shave my feet and pits if you're doing everything else.

RE: Shaving

aquageek — Sun, 03 May 2009 02:31:38 GMT

I really doubt that hair gives grip on the arms or feet. Shave everywhere. Your opinion on this matter would be much different if you had ever met Wookie.

RE: Shaving

Allen Stark — Sun, 03 May 2009 01:53:45 GMT

I have always shaved my feet and arms,but it does make sense for all but breaststrokers to maybe not shave their arms,especially sprinters.Lots of people say that the increase in sensitivity is the primary result of shaving,but as far as I know there is no data to support this and the superiority of tech suits would seem to further dispute it.

RE: Shaving

Animal — Sun, 03 May 2009 01:49:31 GMT

Shaving is for the feel of the water. I do not have any hair on my feet, but if I did I would have shaved it.