Racing suits make you swim faster for three main reasons:
- Reducing water resistance: Racing suits are made of hydrophobic materials, which means they repel water. This reduces the amount of friction between the swimmer's body and the water, allowing them to move more efficiently.
- Muscle compression: Racing suits are designed to fit the swimmer's body tightly. This compression helps improve blood circulation and muscle oxygenation, increasing muscle efficiency and allowing the swimmer to generate more force.
- Improved trim: Racing suits can help keep the swimmer's body in a more hydrodynamic position, which can reduce water resistance.
In particular, the reduction of water resistance is the factor that has the greatest impact on the performance of racing suits. Studies have shown that racing suits can reduce water resistance by up to 20%. This means that a swimmer wearing a racing suit can swim faster without having to increase his or her muscular power.
Muscle compression has a smaller impact on performance, but can still be significant. Studies have shown that muscle compression can increase muscle power by up to 5%.
Racing suits can help improve a swimmer's trim in several ways:
- Keep the swimmer's body in a more hydrodynamic position. This can reduce water resistance and allow the swimmer to move more efficiently.
- Keep the swimmer's chest up and shoulders back. This can help improve swimming efficiency.
- Provide muscle support. This can help prevent injuries and improve the swimmer's power.