title: Effect of fastskin suits on performance, drag, and energy cost of swimming.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the effect of fastskin suits on 25- to 800-m performances, drag, and energy cost of swimming.
  
  
  METHODS
  The performances, stroke rate and distance per stroke, were measured for 14 competitive swimmers in a 25-m pool, when wearing a normal suit (N) and when wearing a full-body suit (FB) or a waist-to-ankle suit (L). Passive drag, oxygen uptake, blood lactate, and the perceived exertion were measured in a flume.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was a 3.2% +/- 2.4% performance benefit for all subjects over the six distances covered at maximal speed wearing FB and L when compared with N. When wearing L, the gain was significantly lower (1.8% +/- 2.5%, P < 0.01) than when wearing FB compared with N. The exercise perception was significantly lower when wearing FB than N, whereas there was no statistical difference when wearing L. The distance per stroke was significantly higher when wearing FB and L, whereas the differences in stroke rate were not statistically significant. There was a significant reduction in drag when wearing FB and L of 6.2% +/- 7.9% and 4.7% +/- 4.4%, respectively (P < 0.01), whereas the energy cost of swimming was significantly reduced when wearing FB and L by 4.5% +/- 5.4% and 5.5% +/- 3.1%, respectively (P < 0.01). However, the differences between FB and L were not statistically significant for drag and oxygen uptake.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  FB and L significantly reduced passive drag, and this was associated with a decreased energy cost of submaximal swimming and an increased distance per stroke, at the same stroke rates, and reduced freestyle performance time.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Clinical and Exercise Physiology, Medical Faculty, Jean Monnet University of Saint-Etienne, France. chatard@univ-st-etienne.fr
authors.forename: Jean-Claude
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Chatard
authors.forename: Barry
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Wilson
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D054874:Athletic Performance / Q000502:physiology*; D004734:Energy Metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019876:Sports Equipment; D013550:Swimming / Q000502:physiology*