We explore the science behind high-tech suits and show how they can improve swimmers’ performance.
Swimming suits are designed to protect your dignity and help you swim faster. Drag is the main obstacle to swimming through water.
Drag is something you experience all the time. However, in the air, it can be easily overcome by running or walking. You can feel the drag in the air by holding your hand out of a moving vehicle’s window.
Drag in action is the backward force that your hand exerts on it. It can be quite strong.
This is the basic component of fluid dynamics. Engineers work tirelessly to create vehicle, ship, and aircraft designs that reduce their impact.
Drag becomes more difficult when the medium is dense, such as water. Water can stick to anything and is a problem for sea vessels.
Swimmers find that water pushes against them when they try to push through it. The swimmer is also affected by drag because as mallwave (bow wave) is created in front of them.
Even regular plus size swimwear Australia aside from the high-tech solutions offered by companies like Speedo can improve swimmer performance in the water.
Swimwears that are too tight to the body help to control the shape of the wearer. This makes them more hydrodynamic.
Special materials are used to repel water, increasing the suit’s drag reduction. It’s not necessary to be an Olympian to see the difference.
You would likely have a better time per lap if you wore one than if you were just wearing shorts or trunks (as a male).
What Makes Swimwear Faster?
One quality that swimwears help you swim faster is their tightness to your body. They make you look sleeker in the water.
Professional swimmers often shave their hair to reduce drag in the water. Caps are worn to cover the heads and keep the ears in.
However, tight swimwear can help to reduce the buildup of lactic acids in your muscles. Your muscles feel tired or have a stitch if you do an aerobic exercise such as swimming.
What Should You Bring For Swimming Practice?
Your goals will determine the equipment you bring to your lessons. The quality of equipment is less important if it’s recreational.
As a minimum, you should bring the following:
- Swimwear and shorts depending on what you sex.
- Goggles.
- Swimming caps are sometimes required at certain pools to maintain hygiene.
- If towels are not available, you can provide them.
- You can carry everything in your swim bag
To prevent skin infections such as athletes’ feet or verrucas, you should wear shoes in public areas and swim in your footwear to avoid spreading them to others. However, you should not swim until your condition has been resolved.
You might be a more competitive swimmer if you consider high-tech options like –
- High-tech swimwear
- Simple, high-drag reduction goggles These should be snug but comfortable and have a low profile, with a hydrodynamic shape.
- Swim caps that are resistant to drag – These should last for a long time and be tight. Some high-end caps reduce drag by 3 to 6 %.
