The Bodysuit Problem

COACH PAUL BERGEN'S TESTS OF BODYSUITS

Received from Coach Bergen [01/28/2001]

Last year, 16 of my swimmers completed 320 trials of 25-yard speed swimming. Each performed two trials of underwater kicking and swimming. One set of 2x2 trials was with a full neck-to-ankles Speedo bodysuit and one was with a normal racing suit. On five different occasions over a two-month period, the procedure was repeated, alternating the sequence of experimental conditions. Swimmers performed their specialized strokes.

The average times, regardless of which trial went first, are presented in the following table.

Underwater Swimming			Above-water swimming
Stroke	Bodysuit	Regular Suit		Bodysuit	Regular Suit
Butterfly	11.5-12.0	12.0-12.5		10.8-11.2	9.9-10.6
Crawl Stroke	11.9-12.4	12.3-12.8		10.1-10.6	10.6-11.0
Backstroke	11.8-12.5	11.7-12.5		11.2-11.8	11.6-11.9
Breaststroke	15.2-15.8	14.9-15.3		13.9-14.5	13.5-14.0

My conclusions were as follows:

The bodysuit had a significant advantage for underwater kicking and above-water swimming for both crawl stroke and butterfly.
There was no advantage in wearing the suits for backstroke for either underwater kicking or above water swimming.
The bodysuit had negative effects on breaststroke underwater kicking and swimming.
The differences were only apparent when compared with a normal racing suit (not a "jammer" or other variation) and with "unshaved" swimmers.
There is still a question in my mind whether a "shaved" swimmer would be able to swim the same speeds in a normal racing suit as compared with the bodysuit. [Perhaps the bodysuit replicates a shaved swimmer's performance when the swimmer is unshaved.]
It is possible that in mid-season a bodysuit gives a training athlete the same feeling as when they are shaved.

Other Observations

I did not test short-course 50s where the bodysuit's long zipper produces an uncomfortable feeling when doing a crawl stroke "flip" turn.

On the basis of this "unscientific" testing, my coaching staff, the swimmers, and myself, made certain decisions about using the bodysuits in the US Olympic Trials.

My impression, from the wide-spread news and commentaries regarding the full bodysuit when Inge DeBruijn went on her eight world-record spree in June, was that many felt her performances were due to the bodysuit or drug-enhancement, instead of preparation. A common assertion was that all a swimmer had to do was put on a bodysuit and immediately drop 1-2 seconds off their personal best performances. Well, that was not the case at either at the Trials or the Olympic Games. The best-prepared athletes performed the best.

Does a bodysuit have some merit? Certainly!

Is a bodysuit the answer to poor or marginal preparation? I don't think so!

Respectfully submitted

Paul Bergen
[January 28, 2001]

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