Does a tech suit make you faster?
The study suggests that the fit and material of tech suits creates very little resistance when swimming, which allows for longer gliding periods and increased efficiency. This led to an improved stroke rate and ultimately faster swimming.
Tech suits reduce this drag by compressing the swimmer's body, creating a streamlined profile that reduces water resistance, and using materials that make it easier to slip through the water. Compression also helps a swimmers muscles work more efficiently, so they can swim faster for longer.
That decision is generally up to you, but our opinion is that tech suits should be worn by swimmers competing at the higher level meets that require qualifying standards to attend. We also suggest you consult with your Club coach to get their perspective for your swimmer.
The "better" brand depends on individual preferences and specific needs. Arena is known for its innovative designs and technological advancements in swimwear, while Speedo is recognized for its high-performance swimwear and long-standing history in the industry.
Some key differences between shorts and swim briefs are: • Speed: One of the most significant differences of Speedo briefs vs. jammers, boardshorts, and square leg shorts is speed. Speedo briefs have less fabric than knee-length swim shorts, which may help you swim faster.
And do they actually make you faster? According to a study done by Journal Of The American College Of Sports Medicine, the suits can significantly improve swimming performance. The study found that, on average, swim performance improved by 3.2% when swimmers wore a tech suit as opposed to a regular training suit.
It goes without saying that the more often you swim in it, the more often you'll need to wash it. As a general rule of thumb, if you're swimming multiple times a week, then washing your tech suit after each use is recommended. If you only swim a few times a month, then washing every two or three uses is good enough.
No Technical Suit may be worn by any 12 & Under USA Swimming athlete member in competition at any Sanctioned, Approved or Observed meet. 1) Exceptions to the foregoing restriction are only for Junior Nationals, US Open, National Championships, and Olympic Trials.
Tech suits are recommended to last between 10 and 12 swim meets, give or take. Because of this, they should only be worn when in use, put on just before the meet and removed shortly after.
NO. It is not illegal to wear a tech suit when not competing. Officials are not the suit police.
Why are tech suits so tight?
Research has shown that compressed muscles perform more efficiently. Since most of these suits relax with wear, it is best to size down to a very tight fit to allow the swimmer to wear the suit as many times as possible.
We recommend that you warm up in the suit for two reasons:
It protects the suit because you won't be rushing with damp skin to get it on before your race.
A technical suit is designed with a snug/tight fit and should not expand. It is normal that it will take you time to put it on. You may have someone to assist you with the process.
The suit was so effective at reducing drag and improving performance that FINA, the international governing body of water sports, was forced to ban the use of the LZR Racer in future competitions.
Superior products are usually more expensive than their competition. A good swim brief is softer, more comfortable, less restricting, and they will dry faster that swim trunks. In all accounts they are superior. Therefore, they cost a little more.
It is known that swimming equipment (suit, cap and goggles) can affect the total resistance of a swimmer, and therefore impact the resulting swimming speed and race time.
The highest end technical race suits are made of compression and water-repelling materials, so it might be hard to fix yourself. Remember, to decrease the risk of snagging and tearing, don't sit on the deck or benches in your tech racing suits.
Rinse the suit in cold water immediately after use.
Ideally, the suit should be rinsed immediately after use and then soaked in a dechlorinating solution when the swimmer returns home or to the hotel room.
Do not put on your tech suit if you are not 100% dry. Putting on a wet tech suit is going to require a lot of pulling and stretching. The suit is going to stick to your body while you try to get it on. This can result in you stretching your tech suit and it losing some of its cool features.
You can also find technical suits in a brief or racer style. As the name suggests, these swimsuits look like men's briefs, but are very snug. Because there is minimal material on this style of tech swimming suit, they allow for a full range of motion.
Can you shrink a tech suit?
submerge the suit in boiling water and let it soak for fifteen minutes. remove, rinse with fresh water, and gently squeeze out the excess. place it in the dryer. for minimal shrinking, use a low setting.
FINA assesses technical suits, and they put their stamp on them to approve them for competition. Also, evaluate a swimsuit to ensure that it complies with standards for coverage, thickness, and materials when it bears the “FINA Approved” label or a small FINA QR code on a sticker on the back.
Offering knee length coverage, our womens jammer is a great choice for beach days, outdoor swimming and when you want a bit more coverage in the pool.
Prior to the start of the ban of the high-tech swimsuits at the start of 2010, estimated that over 130 world records had already been broken using the high-tech fabrics. Nearly every medal winner at the 2008 Summer Olympics made use of the high-tech swimwear.
When it comes to speed, most brands feel that more compression is key. "While they both have the same fabric, more is better in the case of a closed-back suit," he says. "The idea is that with more coverage you are getting more of the benefits that the suit has to offer."
References
- https://www.kiefer.com/blog/post/swim-shorts-vs-speedos
- https://instaswimusa.com/tech-suit-why-competitive-swimmers/
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1877705814006365
- https://www.usms.org/fitness-and-training/articles-and-videos/articles/how-can-i-fix-my-torn-swimsuit
- https://www.engineering.com/story/the-technology-behind-speedos-high-tech-swimsuits-that-challenged-the-olympics
- https://blog.coralreefswim.com/how-to-shrink-bathing-suit
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High-technology_swimwear
- https://www.teamunify.com/gspa/UserFiles/Image/QuickUpload/fitting-a-tech-suit_039737.pdf
- https://www.goswim.ca/faq-tech-suits
- https://www.teamunify.com/mvststkc/UserFiles/Image/QuickUpload/tech-suit-restriction-for-12_039902.pdf
- https://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/news/an-explanation-of-how-tech-suits-benefit-swimmers/
- https://www.usms.org/fitness-and-training/articles-and-videos/articles/closed-back-or-open-back-whats-the-better-suit
- https://www.swimoutlet.com/blogs/guides/caring-for-your-tech-suit
- https://xtremeswim.com/blogs/swim-blog/how-swimming-tech-suits-work
- https://www.quora.com/Why-is-Speedo-so-expensive
- https://speedo.com.au/product/womens-jammer/8_133140001.html
- https://www.swimoutlet.com/blogs/guides/introduction-to-tech-suits
- https://www.teamunify.com/marays/__eventform__/812462_Suit%20Guide.pdf
- https://www.quora.com/Which-brand-is-better-Arena-or-Speedo
- https://www.usaswimming.org/docs/default-source/officialsdocuments/misc-officials/tech-suit-for-officials.pdf
- https://www.swimoutlet.com/blogs/guides/how-to-put-on-a-women_s-technical-suit
- https://www.pocolocoswims.com/service/tech-suits-everything-you-need-to-know/
- https://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/news/10-ways-to-increase-the-life-of-your-racing-suit/
- https://thelifeguardstore.com/blog/post/choose-mens-technical-swimsuit