SECTION I - KINESIOLOGY / RESEARCH PAPER
Understanding the Importance of Drag Coefficient Assessment for a Deeper Insight into the Hydrodynamic Profile of Swimmers
1
Department of Sports Sciences, Instituto Politécnico de Bragança, Bragança, Portugal
2
Research Center in Sports, Health, and Human Development (CIDESD), Covilhã, Portugal
3
Department of Sports Sciences, University of Beira Interior, Covilhã, Portugal
4
Department of Sports Sciences, Polytechnic Institute of Guarda, Guarda, Portugal
Submission date: 2023-06-11
Final revision date: 2023-08-09
Acceptance date: 2023-09-18
Publication date: 2023-11-28
Journal of Human Kinetics 2024;92:19-27
KEYWORDS
TOPICS
ABSTRACT
The main objective of this study was to confirm that the passive drag coefficient is less dependent on swimming speed than the passive drag, Froude, and Reynolds numbers, even as swimming speed increases. The sample consisted of 12 young proficient non-competitive swimmers (seven males and five females: 20.4 ± 1.9 years). Passive drag was measured with a low-voltage isokinetic engine at 1.2, 1.4, 1.6 and 1.8 m/s. The frontal surface area was measured using digital photogrammetry. Passive drag showed significant differences with a strong effect size over the four towing speeds measured (F = 116.84, p < 0.001, η2 = 0.91) with a quadratic relationship with speed. The Froude and Reynolds numbers had similar trends, but with linear relationships. Conversely, the passive drag coefficient showed non-significant differences across the four towing speeds (F = 3.50, p = 0.062, η2 = 0.33). This strongly suggests that the passive drag coefficient should be the variable of choice for monitoring the hydrodynamic profile of swimmers rather than the absolute value of passive drag.
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