This has been something I've wondered the last few years. I used to be a college swimmer, fit and trim, but the 10 years since then I've drank my fair share of beer and ate plenty of cheeseburgers. Just curious what peoples' take is on how much the extra baggage really effects swim races.
I don't really fit the swimmer mold anymore. I'm 31, 6'2", and 270lbs with a huge beer gut. I got some strange looks since the meet i was in recently was a USAS meet and I outweighed my competition by 100lbs in many cases. My first race in about 5 years i went 23.4 in the 50y free. I didn't expect to be that fast at this weight but at the same time I almost wonder if the added intertia is helping me more on the start and turns. Followed it up with a low 52 in the 100y free but I had a horrible reaction on the start and incorrect pacing. I think if i raced again today that'd be deep in the 51 range. For reference, typical non-taper times for me in college were in the low-mid 22 range at just a tick over 200lbs but I was obviously a lot stronger, younger, and doing a TON more yards at the time, that's why it makes me wonder just how much the weight is actually holding me back.
How much time do you think I stand to drop if i were 50lbs lighter? Could it be a measurable difference or something just slight? I guess I ask that to see if it'd be worth my while to drop that much weight quickly by dieting in addition to the swimming i'm doing. I don't really like dieting, and i generally eat what I want, when i want. Not gorging myself at every meal doesn't really seem to fit into my lifestyle :blush: Anyone have a similar story? "I dropped XX lbs and went XX seconds faster because of it."
Maybe it's an immeasurable, but I thought I'd ask for opinion anyway. I'm hoping it doesn't turn into a "to diet or not to diet" discussion though.
WELL, after 4 months hard work at the gym & the dinner table, I lost 26 lbs. & medaled in 5 of my 6 events at Nationals! The best being 1st. in the 200 fly - national champ! Very cool!:D
I can probably muster up more data points, but here's a fairly close apples-to-apples comparison of what 10 lbs lighter on a 6'4" bought me:
Austin, May 2008
Weight: 192.5/193.0
100 IM: 56.18
Mesa, late April 2011
Weight: 182.5/183.0
100 IM: 56.13
Both swims in jammers, both tapered. By my calculations, I dropped 0.005 seconds per pound of total mass lost! Actually, to make matters worse, I didn't shave down for Austin, but did for Mesa.
I think it's been said many times on this thread, though, that it matters what you lost more than how much you lost. I think I've sacrificed muscle with my recent weight loss and am aiming to rectify this with renewed focus on dry-lands / weights / yoga.
I'd also add in that Austin is a much faster pool than Mesa ... so your time could be adjusted.
Extra fat slows down a swimmer a lot on longer races. Profile drag is increased and there is more mass to accelerate with each stroke and out of each turn.
Extra fat slows down a swimmer a lot on longer races. Profile drag is increased and there is more mass to accelerate with each stroke and out of each turn.
You seem to be saying that the effect of being overweight should greater on longer races. I am not necessarily disagreeing, but why would that be? I think all of the factors you mention are worse at the higher speeds one encounters in shorter races, and I don't believe the effects (eg form drag) are linear with speed.
And does profile drag necessarily increase with weight? A higher fat percentage is definitely going to make you float more, so you will be riding higher in the water.
Floating may not translate to speed, but it can help.
Most long distance ocean swimmers carry the extra weight for both insulation and buoyancy.
In a pool setting, the skinny people seem to have the advantage.
That was a seriously skinny relay team! I wonder what the body fat % was of those guys at the time? :afraid:And, what would be the typical body fat of an Olympic swimmer vs. a top-level Masters swimmer?
In due time the only ribs you may see on those guys is when they're eating.
:lmao: Thanks for the laugh, 'Silver (Hmmm, I should probably make that "Quick", considering how fast you are!)!
Thanks for the link; I'll check it out. :D
I am dropping weight off without diet, it's just a slow process. I've always been a believer that weight loss = calories taken in 'd consider that to see if I feel the speed increase worth not enjoying mealtimes as much as I do :blush:
Quantifying how much faster you will swim with weight loss seems trivial when you compare it with the health benefits you will reap. Ever since I ditched diets and focused on my health, I have been able to very easily stay at a normal weight - believe me, I never miss a meal. :) What about finding ways to enjoy meals that are a little healthier and make small improvements to the diet step by step? That's what I did after college and after awhile I actually preferred the healthier fare!
I have a meet tomorrow and sunday also, so i'll have more non-shave, non-taper results at this weight. I'd be thrilled to go sub 50sec in the 100y free.
Good luck! I hope you have a fast swim. But seriously..fast food? Blechh!! I always take food I fix myself to work. Whole wheat bagels with sliced veggies and mozzarella, grapes, strawberries, yogurt, pistachios and/or almonds...oh and sometimes one or two homemade chocolate chip cookies :)
