2016 is almost here and, with it, the Olympics. We have already brought some physical explanations about the sports of running and athletics, today is the day to understand a little more about swimming.

Basically, swimming can be defined as a sport that requires the human being’s ability to move around in the liquid medium without artificial help. But in fact, it goes far beyond that, especially with regard to physics!

Physics in swimming

Kinematics, fluctuation static and various types of resistance can be observed in swimming. Therefore, athletes need to learn some techniques to decrease these resistances and perform better:

• Shape resistance: more hydrodynamic body positions can help reduce this resistance;
• Wave Resistance: caused by surface turbulence in water. Proper tilt of hands and wrists will decrease resistance.
• Resistance of friction: caused by the surface of the skin. Scrubbing the hair, wearing rubber caps and appropriate clothing reduce friction.

To reduce the Resistance of Friction, even Nasa has developed a swimming outfit that closely resembles a shark skin, making water slide more easily through the body.

Crawl swim and best swimming performance

In order for the athlete to achieve the highest speed possible, the main goal of the Crawl is to eliminate as much resistance forces as possible, such as reducing the resistance of the water to the body. With the reduction of water resistance, the propulsive force (impulse force) is increased, resulting in increased swimming speed.

Did you like to understand how physics can be applied in swimming? Follow our blog and find out more.