This may be opening a can of worms here, but I'm having an argument with someone in my group. If someone is drafting off of you in a pool set (like 4x200 SCY), does it hurt your effort? Does the lead swimmer have to work harder or experience some other negative benefit?
I've read a bit about aerodynamics and it would seem that in car racing, the lead car actually gets a positive benefit, but I'm not sure if that's true in swimming.
www.jssm.org/.../v7n1-9pdf.pdf
This article says that swimmers need to go between 6.5m and 9m apart if they want the trailing swimmer not to catch a measurable draft from the lead swimmer. For any pair of swimmers, the distance at which the trailing swimmer will no longer catch a draft from the lead swimmer depends on velocity and body shape, among other key variables. The article suggests that if the trailing swimmer wants to be sure s/he doesn't draft, s/he should go about 10m back. Most masters swimmers don't go 10m in 5 seconds, although lots can go 10m in 10 seconds at practice.
Bottom line, in 5 sec, a 5-7m gap occurs.
Right, which is why when I go last in a lane with our team's fastest swimmers, I can hold a 35s/50y pace comfortably if we go 5 seconds apart. At that pace, 5 seconds is about 7 yards, and I am catching a draft. It doesn't hurt in that situation, either, that everyone ahead of me is bigger than I am (and I am not a small woman). When I lead, or when I am the only one in my lane, that pace is much more challenging for me.
My answer to the original question is: Drafting by a following swimmer does not physically hold the lead swimmer back.
www.jssm.org/.../v7n1-9pdf.pdf
This article says that swimmers need to go between 6.5m and 9m apart if they want the trailing swimmer not to catch a measurable draft from the lead swimmer. For any pair of swimmers, the distance at which the trailing swimmer will no longer catch a draft from the lead swimmer depends on velocity and body shape, among other key variables. The article suggests that if the trailing swimmer wants to be sure s/he doesn't draft, s/he should go about 10m back. Most masters swimmers don't go 10m in 5 seconds, although lots can go 10m in 10 seconds at practice.
Bottom line, in 5 sec, a 5-7m gap occurs.
Right, which is why when I go last in a lane with our team's fastest swimmers, I can hold a 35s/50y pace comfortably if we go 5 seconds apart. At that pace, 5 seconds is about 7 yards, and I am catching a draft. It doesn't hurt in that situation, either, that everyone ahead of me is bigger than I am (and I am not a small woman). When I lead, or when I am the only one in my lane, that pace is much more challenging for me.
My answer to the original question is: Drafting by a following swimmer does not physically hold the lead swimmer back.
