What Makes the Perfect Swimmer’s Body?
Although swimmers with a wide variety of body types have found success in the sport, most at the international level tend to look similar, sporting tall and muscular bodies – typically with long torsos, long arms and short legs. This begs the question: If you could hypothetically build the perfect swimmer’s body in a lab, what would it look like?
Although it is not possible to create one body that is perfect for all events, as there are so many different distances and strokes, research has shown that there are certain physical characteristics which are conducive to creating the best swimmers.
Height
One of the most obvious physical factors that give swimmers a distinct advantage in the pool is height. This can clearly be seen in many of the elite international male swimmers. Nathan Adrian stands at 6 feet 6 inches tall (1.98m), and Kliment Kolesnikov and Michael Andrew both stand at 6 foot 5 inches tall (1.96m).
Many of the top women in the world also possess great height, as world record-holders Sarah Sjostrom and Katie Ledeckey are both six feet tall (1.83m), while 100 free gold medalists Simone Manuel and Penny Oleksiak stand at 5-foot-eleven-inches and six-foot-one-inch tall respectively. In fact, the average height of the 2016 Olympic finalists in Rio was 6 feet and two inches tall (1.884 m) for men and five feet nine inches (1.755 m) for women, both of which are substantially higher than the average human.
World Record holder Sarah Sjostrom: Photo Courtesy: R-Sport / MIA Rossiya Segodnya
Anthropometry
Anthropometry can simply be defined as the study of human body measurements and the physical variations found among humans. When applied to swimming, some athletes possess certain physical variations besides height that give them an advantage in the pool. For instance, swimmers with long wingspans have a definite advantage, as they are able to reach farther and pull more water with every stroke.
In fact, research that was done by former 100 freestyle world record-holder and former resident USA National Team coach Jonty Skinner found that “limb length and size play a huge role in event potential, and the relationship between arm length and height gives a better picture of the athlete’s potential. Swimmers with a high anthropometry score—that is, their arms are relatively long in relation to their height—tend to do best in the long-axis strokes of freestyle and backstroke.”
Shorter legs have also been found to be advantageous for swimmers, as they help add more power without creating lots of drag. Other anthropometric traits which are conducive for fast swimming are large hands, feet and lungs. Large hands and feet act like natural paddles and fins, while large lungs increase natural buoyancy and endurance.
Center of Mass
Every swimmer has a balancing point in the water – known as the center of mass – and the closer it is to the center of flotation (the lungs), the easier it is for the body to float horizontally with little or no effort on the part of the athlete. Having the center of mass near the lungs is one of the main reasons why many elite swimmers have very long torsos often shaped like a triangle.
In this picture, you can see Ryan Murphy’s long V-shaped torso. Photo Courtesy: JD Lasica
Flexibility
Having flexibility, especially in the shoulders and ankles, is a huge asset for swimmers and is a big asset in the search for the perfect swimmer’s body. Having flexible shoulders allows for swimmers to rotate their bodies while keeping their hold on the water in the long axis strokes. In the short access strokes, swimmers with flexible shoulders are able to press their chest down more, thus lengthening their strokes and making them more efficient.
Having good ankle flexibility is crucial for having a powerful kick. Flexible ankles increase the surface area of the foot, essentially making the foot act more like a flipper and allows you to push more water backward, increasing forward propulsion. Flexible ankles also allow for more force to be exerted by the gluteus maximus and quadriceps, which are two of the biggest muscles in the body.
Although natural joint flexibility is generally a trait that is inherited genetically, it is possible to become more flexible through stretching.
This image exhibits Michael Phelps’ extraordinary ankle flexibility
Hyperextension
Hyperextending a joint means that it is able to extend excessively beyond a straight line. This is also known as being double-jointed. When an elbow or knee is double jointed, it allows the arm or leg to bend further backward. This physical attribute is advantageous for swimmers because it allows them to catch more water with each stroke and to kick a greater volume of water with each kick.
Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick
Fast Twitch vs Slow Twitch Muscle Fibers
3x Olympic Gold Medalist Tracy Caulkins
There are two general types of skeletal muscle fibers: slow-twitch and fast-twitch. Slow-twitch muscle is less explosive but is better for endurance events including distance swimming, whereas fast-twitch muscles are much more powerful and are used in powerful bursts of movement like in sprinting; however, they tire out much more quickly.
In fact, there are actually two types of fast-twitch fibers: A and B. Fast-twitch A fibers can be recruited to either aerobic or anaerobic training, while fast-twitch B fibers are geared toward anaerobic conditions.
The muscle fiber makeup of a swimmer – specifically the balance of slow-twitch (ST) and fast-twitch (FT) fibers – is a determining factor in the potential of a swimmer. The athletes with the greatest numbers of FT-A fibers are thought to have the greatest potential in the sport of swimming. They have a potential to swim a wide range of events. Skinner believes that both Mark Spitz and Tracy Caulkins probably had unusually large numbers of FT-A fibers, which would account for their versatility.
The Perfect Swimmer
Michael Phelps’ body is closer to perfection than any other swimmer’s body in history: Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick
As stated earlier, it is impossible to have the perfect swimmer’s body due to the high variety of different events and strokes. That having been said, Michael Phelps‘ body is closer to perfection than any other swimmer’s body in history.
Phelps has many anthropometric advantages. He is very tall, standing at 6 foot 4 inches, and he also has a 6-foot-7-inch wingspan and short powerful legs which are the size of someone who is 6 feet tall. He also has massive hands and feet, and his torso is the size of the one you would expect to see on a man who is 6 feet 8 inches tall, giving him both a high natural buoyancy and lung capacity. Phelps also possesses exemplary shoulder and ankle flexibility and has hyperextension in his joints. His unprecedented versatility indicates that he had an unusually high number of FT-A Muscle fibers, as no swimmer in history was able to win eight gold medals in a single Olympics.
Caeleb Dressel exploding off of the starting blocks at 2017 NCAA Championships Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick
Although there are currently some other swimmers who possess exceptional natural talent – such as Caeleb Dressel with his unrivaled sprint speed and Ledecky with her inhuman endurance – no other swimmer in history has had a body as specialized for swimming as Phelps did.
Mental Strength
While the previous characteristics all covered the physical advantages of the ideal swimmer, the most important attribute for becoming a fast swimmer is mental strength. Discipline, focus, confidence, and a good work ethic are arguably just as important as having physical talent. There is a lot of truth to Pattie Johnson’s quote: “Once you’re physically capable of winning a gold medal, the rest is 90 percent mental.”
It took lots of hard work for the best swimmers in the world to translate their natural ability into results. Without having a growth mindset where you are constantly looking for ways to improve, you will not reach your full potential, no matter how talented you are.
So what do you do if you don’t have the perfect swimmer body? At the end of the day, you can not control the body that you are given and the natural talent you possess. However, with hard work and dedication, you can maximize what natural talent you do possess and still achieve great things in the sport.
All commentaries are the opinion of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Swimming World Magazine nor its staff.
Emily Douds Pieklo. Flexible shoulders, we were just talking about that.
Rf
Josh Barila
J.P, just curious how your dad, Jay Mortenson, measures up to these standards? He was very successful!
Good read
Lo de phelps
I’m a short to medium person and as a kid was far from elite. The closest probably 5 seconds from qualifying in 100 yard breaststroke at Senior Nationals have very short legs-petite size and large feet for my height of only 5’4″. As a kid I was a breaststroker/flyer was not as good at freesyle/backstroke. As a 61 year old masters swimmer a breaststroke since I lost the conditioning in fly. I think with shorter swimmers the long axis strokes like free and back you are not as good at.
Well thought out article. Working with swimmers as a physical therapist is a highlight in my career due to their mental drive and their physical abilities. They Always want to drive to be better. This article logically lists the requirements we work to achieve. I will show this article to my swimmers.
Yep , I had those traits although I was a few inches short.
Carlos
30m torso
23m wingspan
10m legs
Craig Jones
Great piece. Shoulder & ankle flexibility in swimmers is super underrated and can be a big game/meet changer ☺️??♀️!
Gaby Brill
Celeste Ly guess you had the physique to be elite ?
Minus the tall ??
Ste Ven En I was just gonna say hahah
It floats:)
Susan Sharman Very interesting ?
Talisha Jarrett
Alysha Gallagher
Ricky Betar
Guess I was never meant to be a good swimmer to begin with ?♂️
But hey an interesting article anyways ?
#SafeSport
In the photo, you see Katie Ledecky. I don’t know if she has “the perfect body”, but probably she possesses the perfect brain for swimming…
Let me guess… 15,000 plus yard/meters per workout, eat, sleep, & repeat!!!
Emma Rolfe John Young Emily will be lucky if she has my short legs..nothing mentioned in article about the most obvious..As JT said in his book..they told him his to small to play 1st grade..but they didn’t know the size of his heart..
Stephen hyper flexibility = awesome for swimming but also means I couldn’t run out of sight on a dark night ??
I always looked at new swimmers feet. If they walk in turned out they do the other aquatic sport called “breaststroke” ?
John Young steep roads leads to high mountains..
Exactly! One of the all time legends! Best player I have seen week in week out
Rob Jefferies
I always wonder how I ever made it in swimming. Im on the tall side but my arms are short and my legs are long.
I have small hands but big feet—but as a female i think it’s all in the shoulders.
Female swimmers tend to have large shoulders
As a high school swimmer with long arms and long legs, I have to say the legs were a hindrance. It was constant work just to maintain a horizontal body position. I had a good run, but there was a ceiling.
Gus Benoit To be honest i think you’d buggered as a swimmer. Keelan Bridge is ok and Ned Wieland is just a fat heap. I on the other hand am an Adonis
Michael Venis you are ailed
Keelan Bridge No, just obsessed with my neighbours demise over the fence. Have I told you about it?
Keelan Bridge I found this image of me from the early 80’s in case your wondering
Michael Venis you’re androgynous
Michael Venis I have the body of a dog
At only 5’ tall, now I know why I never made it to the Olympics! ??
I always remember racing a lad in my swimming club one session and beating him. He was a bit younger than me but was much more muscular and taller. His grandad and my dad were watching and the guy said to my dad “I can’t believe that weed has beaten my grandson!” My dad said, “that weed is my daughter!”. I was stick thin and short but I’ve always had long arms and hyper mobility in my shoulders. I was never going to be good enough to turn pro but the article was interesting as I’ve always wondered why people who are fitter and stronger than me on land aren’t as fast in the water.
Cuz your a better swimmer and might have more heart and in be in better shape. My son is now 14 and has been swimming since he was 6 and has been keeping up with kids 6-8 inches taller. Its not all size its how well you swim. When you get to the elite level the size can be the determining factor over a smaller swimmer.
Michael Phelps. Nuff said. ?
long arms
MichaelA Phelps. ?❤??
Well presented thoughts – thank you.
Nicely dealt article
Krisztina Egerszegi was not particularly tall or strong, but she had a “flat” body with long arms, great flexibility, incredible technique, and she was the best backstroke swimmer in history.
joe
Just as with drag sports I think it has been a pre-bias position to say a particular shape makes for the fastest movement. I disagree. It is the best combination of glide that makes for the best speed. Take for example a water drag sport of rowing, the Bulgarians in the Olympics had the right combination of pitch and leverage and so too can a swimmer have the right movement and floatation to have a great glide making for their fastest speed. I am quiet tall but I believe a shorter person with different technique and different muscle make up could be faster. I think it is a habit that we think that glide and thus speed in water is only through typical expectations of features. I think yes, it is right that it has to do with mind, movement, technique and body features and even proportions in relation to leverage and position with floatation. Yes, I see fish in the water be just as fast as fish I would expect to be faster than them. I think we need to not underestimate at the capacity for glide and less drag on a persons individual merits. Yes there are advantages but only in a combination for the rules of drag and frequency of the harmonics of the movement in the water I think plays a greater role. I think you will find the fastest swimmers have a combination that makes for this harmonic within the movement creating them a different superior ability. Combining this with spirit and endurance is make or break of their success at such high levels of competition.
Where is a place I can contact Olympic swimmers?!!!!!!!!
I am wondering because I want to be an Olympic swimmer!
Side note:
I encourage all all you people to know that woman can do anything!
No they can’t. I’m one so i know.
Well I am a swimmer and it’s fun and exciting
I agree I am a county swimmer
My lad is small for his age but exceptionally good at fly (considering he doesn’t actually train that hard really ! ).
I have this theory that being small could be less of a disadvantage on Fly, possibly because the swimmer has to raise their body out of the water and thus a smaller body is advantageous for that ? Would anyone agree ?
V
Yes