Physiological Responses to Swimming while Wearing a Wet Suit

The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of three different wet suits on the oxygen uptake (VO₂), minute ventilation (VE), and heart rate responses to front crawl swimming. Five male subjects swam at four velocities (0.90, 1.05, 1 ..18 ± 0.01, 1.31 ±0.02 m sec^-1) in each of four swimming suit conditions in a swimming flume. Conditions were completed in random order using a conventional swimming suit (SS), a wet suit that covered the full body (FULL), a wet suit that left the arms exposed (LONG), and a wet suit that left the arms and lower legs exposed (SHORT). Water temperature was 26.5 ±1.0 °C for all trials. VO₂ and V_E were decreased (p < 0.05) while swimming in the three wet suits as compared to the SS at all four velocities. VO₂ and V_E were also lower (p < 0.05) in the FULL as compared to the SHORT at all four velocities; however, there were no differences between the SHORT and LONG or LONG and FULL at any of the welocities. Decreases in VO₂ from SS averaged 16.2 ± 1.9 (SHORT), 22.8 ± 2.4 (LONG), and 33.6 ± 2.9 % (FULL) over all four velocities. Similarly, reductions in V_E from SS averaged 14.6 ±1.5, 19.6 ± 1.6, 24.2 ± 1.5 %, in the SHORT, LONG, and FULL, respectively. Heart rate and rating of perceived exertion were higher (p < 0.05) in the SS as compared to the three wet suits at 1.31 m · sec-1 only, ln conclusion, oxygen uptake and minute ventilation during swimming at a given velocity were decreased when wearing a wet suit as compared to a conventional swimming suit. Further, these (decreases were related to the amount of wet suit covering the body.

Key words

Triathlon - swimming flume - oxygen uptake - ventilation