Why Do Pros Wear High Performance Swim Suits?

Why Do Pros Wear High-Performance Swim Suits?

When you see professional swimmers or Olympic competitors training or competing, you might notice that they are wearing high-performance swimsuits instead of the average swimwear that you buy on the high street. This is also referred to as arena swimwear and they use this for a number of key reasons and that is what we will look at in this article, the reasons why the pros wear high-performance swimwear.

Pros Wear High-Performance Swim Suits

Comfort

The first reason is that they have been designed specifically with comfort in mind. This is because, in order to perform at the top of their ability, swimmers need to be comfortable. Elements such as too tight elastic, fabric ‘digging in’ or discomfort causing by fabric friction can all impede on a swimmer’s performance, slowing them down when in the water and affecting their lap times or race outcomes.

Streamlined

The second reason is that it increases their performance in the water. High-performance swimwear comes in a range of materials and styles but all have the same aim – making the swimmer as streamlined as possible to help them cut or glide through the water with the least resistance, thus making them faster.

One brand which goes to great lengths in order to make high-performance swimwear as effective as possible is Speedo. For the 2004 Olympics, they wanted to mimic how efficiently sharks cut through the water so undertook a study to determine how shark skin worked in relation to swimming. Their researchers discovered that shark skin is not as smooth as originally thought. In fact, shark skin is covered with tiny dermal denticles which vary in position throughout the length of the shark. These are believed to manage the flow of water around the shark’s body and reduce drag to allow them to glide efficiently through the water. Speedo took this research and went on to design an innovative bodysuit called the Fastskin FSII which was used at the Athens Olympics to increase the performance of the pros.

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Extra Features

Many suites also include additional features which help to prolong the life of the swimwear or protect the athlete. Features such as being chemically resistant, especially in relation to pool cleaning chemicals such as chlorine. They may also be highly UV resistant, especially if designed for open water swimmers.

Style

The final reason is that it’s also pretty stylish these days. High-performance swimsuits come in a range of different styles, many of them flattering, with high legs and racer style backs. They also come in a wide range of colours and fashionable looks with great panel detail and other decorative features too.

High-performance swimwear has come a long way in recent years.

So whether you are a professional athlete or just an enthusiastic amateur, you will be able to find an effective and flattering swimsuit for your needs.

Enjoy     
Richard

Swimwear: Wool, Spandex, Lycra, Nylon, Fastskin. What's it all about?

Swimwear: So what’s the best fabrics for me you ask?

Dad has told and retold the story of his childhood competition swimming in wool bathers where one particular competitor always beat him. One day, Grandma bought dad some new swimwear. Next time Dad raced that boy, Dad whipped him.

Swimwear

It’s wonderful how far fabric engineering has come in a short 50 odd years. In recent years, we have even observed the, now banned from competitive swimming, hydrodynamic non-textile bodysuits used by Olympic swimmers.

So what’s the best fabrics for me you ask?

It really depends on what sort of aqua sport you do, and what you want out of your swimming costume.

For The Beach Or An Occasional Pool Swimmer

For the beach or an occasional pool swimmer, there is a large array of fashionable swimwear available.

If you are a hot tub or chlorinated pool swimmer, you would be well advised to seek out some bathers that are chlorine resistant.

All swimwear used in highly chlorinated pools on a regular basis does not last more than a few months. Naturally the more often you have them in the chlorine the quicker they will deteriorate, so looking after them, in this case, becomes more important.

Chlorine destroys the lycra (sometimes known as spandex), which is the elastic part of the fabric, making the costume lose its nice firm fit. The costume needs some lycra for stretch.

Chlorine will also fade the fabric colours.

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To be chlorine-resistant they need to be 20% or less of lycra and 80% or more of nylon or polyester. Ideally, keep the lycra in the bather to a minimum. The fabric make-up in chlorine resistant bathers means they will last longer.

It Pays To Look After Your Swimmers

We pay a lot of money for your swimmers so it pays to look after them. Try and avoid wrapping it in your already wet towel to deal with when you get home. Heat & time with chlorine contact on your bather is your enemy. The sooner after the swim they are rinsed the better.

This might mean between races if you do competition swimming.

After every use, they need to be rinsed well in cool fresh water to remove the chlorine. Don’t wring it out stretching or even overstretching the lycra, rather lie it on a clean dry towel.

The costume is a buffer between our skin and other surfaces. It is very thin, is a knit fabric and it catches easily on rough surfaces.

Some surfaces may feel smooth to our hands but to the delicate costume it will rub and over a number of times, it will ‘fluff’ the fabric making for drag in the water slowing us down, and we sure don’t want that in a competition.

Keep heat away from your swimwear. Heat will “melt” plastic and essentially that’s what your costume is.

If you have been in an indoor heated pool or spa, it is imperative that your bather be rinsed as soon as possible after, as a spa has not only hot water but very high chlorine levels. Chemical reactions are sped up with increased temperature, so hot water will compound the chlorine degradation.

To Enjoy Maximum Life From Your Swimwear

With careful choice of your fabric and correct care, you will be able to enjoy maximum life from your swimwear and minimum damage to your hip pocket.

Written by Chlorine Resistant Swimwear from RAPID BAY.

Enjoy
   Richard