By Isabelle Robuck, Swimming World College Intern.
Over recent years, swimsuit technology has made monumental improvements. With Speedo, TYR, Adidas and Arena competing to occupy the swimming world with their best branded tech suits to propel us toward optimal performance, we tend to lean more on enhancers rather than training for our results.
Although on different ends of the spectrum, tech suits and drag suits follow similar hydrodynamic principles. While a snugly fit tech suit maximizes efficient movement though the water, a drag suit creates resistance through looser fitting fabric.
Photo Courtesy: Taylor Brien
The Pros of Drag Suits
During hard swim sets, a drag suit is optimally used to build force, power and endurance in the water by fighting the resistance. For example, maintaining intervals during a lengthy aerobic set while wearing a drag suit not only increases muscular endurance but also the amount of power it takes to pull your body through the water. Those wearing tighter suits do not experience extra drag and thus do not reap added power benefits.
Newton Nitros’ Head Coach Clinton Bailey is a strong supporter of the drag suit and recommends almost all of his swimmers to wear them: “Drag suits add resistance without the challenge of changing technique.”
Bailey, on the other hand, also likes the concept of “overreaching.” During a set, pushing for an on-pace time while wearing a drag suit is known as overreaching. This concept is similar to training in a slightly longer pool, such as a 25-meter pool instead of a 25-yard pool. This forces swimmers to train a longer distance at maximum speed.
“Similar to training in a 25-meter pool for 25-yard meets,” said Bailey, “drag suits offer the exact same benefit.”
Photo Courtesy: LSU Sports
Now the question stands: should you wear a drag suit?
Growing up, I religiously wore a drag suit to every practice. As I became a collegiate swimmer, I quickly retired the old suits. I didn’t quite understand why drag suits weren’t worn in college, but as the workouts began, I uncovered the meaning.
The Cons of Drag Suits
Depending on training style, coaches rate some skills as more important than others. My training densely consists of pace sets and maximizing optimal speeds for long periods of time. Because race pace conditions resemble that of a meet, putting on a drag suit significantly hinders our abilities to hit pace, thus hurting our speed training.
“Sprint speeds are harder to reach with a drag suit, so most coaches rather you get your best speed than extra resistance,” said Bailey. However, there is a possibility for optimizing performance with a drag suit when training is altered properly.
Photo Courtesy: FINA Doha 2014
Drag suits are most beneficial as long as technique is maintained. During a tough aerobic set, however, technique sometimes fall short. Moreover, stroke distance and rate tends to decrease, altering overall performance.
To help prevent this, wearing drag suits during faster, high intensity sets may deem more beneficial and help maintain longer, more powerful strokes.
In a research study conducted by Dragunas, Dicky, and Nolte, 18 swimmers were divided into two groups: one group completed training in a drag suit, and the other a regular suit. After three weeks of training and sprint test sets, the researchers concluded that drag suit training can be beneficial to performance when completed at a high intensity with plenty of rest to maintain proper stroke technique.
On another note, some suggest that only wearing a drag suit for specific training sets becomes more beneficial than wearing one through a whole practice. This allows the body to fell immediate difference between wearing a drag suit during one set and not for another.
Maximizing the Benefits
Training with a drag suit is best during maximal yardage sets. Because drag suits help build power, wearing one for a long, low-intensity set quickly trains the body to pull against a stronger resistance than wearing one suit. As training speed and yardage increases, power and force build as well.
One of the most significant properties that drag suits alter is body position. Because of the extra material, drag suits naturally can pull our bodies down as we move through the water, making swimming much more difficult. Because of this, drag suits force us to naturally adjust and learn how to swim on top of the water.
This creates the most notable difference when taking off the drag suit, such as during a meet. The body naturally sits on the surface of the water, giving the swimmer an immediate boost of strength and power. Sometimes, the psychological benefits of getting rid of the drag does more for your performance than you might think!
Many other techniques and equipment can be used to generate a similar feeling. Regarding equipment, a set of paddles and a pool buoy can force the body to develop power and strength through creating a larger catch. Additionally, the shape of a paddle optimizes technique, as it forces swimmers to pull through the water properly.
Power towers, another resistance training device, have largely taken the place of drag suits. “The reason most coaches don’t use drag suits is because they have things like power towers,” continued Bailey.
Photo Courtesy: Annie Grevers
Regarding the lower body, putting on a pair of fins can quickly build strength and power. Training the body to have a kick-driven stroke not only helps alleviate the upper body from overuse but also minimizes chances of injury and sustains energy.
Enforcing underwater kick sets or vertical kick with fins can train the lower body to find a more powerful drive by engaging the full range of kicking.
The ultimate deciding factor when determining whether or not to wear a drag suit is considering the swimmer’s goals during the training block. Are you trying to build speed, power or both?
Always be sure to take in to account the specific training you’re doing. From there, you can further decide whether or not a drag suit is right for you. Remember – smart training is happy training!
All commentaries are the opinion of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Swimming World Magazine nor its staff.
LeeAnne Thorson Schwan
On our team we use drag sox. Hate swimming with them, but love the feeling once you take them off
So if putting on a drag suit significantly hinders our abilities to hit pace, thus hurting our speed training, shouldn’t putting on paddles and fins help our speed training by exceeding race pace?