3 ms·

I think mythbusters did the same thing with similar results. Im surprised they didnt do(or if they did, it wasnt mentioned) the difference in long distances.

by S_A_P 16y ago

I think mythbusters did the same thing with similar results. Im surprised they didnt do(or if they did, it wasnt mentioned) the difference in long distances. Maybe it doesnt make much difference for a lap, but what about the 100m?

klous 16y ago
Yep, Mythbusters covered this. http://dsc.discovery.com/videos/mythbusters-swimming-syrup/ http://dsc.discovery.com/videos/mythbusters-swimming-syrup/
watty 16y ago
I think the turn would be considerably slower due to the extra friction in the somersault. When swimming straight, there is a "narrow frontal profile" and little form drag but that isn't true when spinning in the water. I wouldn't have guessed the results of this experiment so my slower turn theory is probably wrong as well...
jerf 16y ago
Note this article does predate the Mythbusters episode (and the study probably precipitated it). The Mythbusters anecdotally reported that while you could go roughly as fast in high-viscosity fluid it was much harder; IIRC Jamie couldn't even finish his highest-viscosity run, or at least made very heavy weather of it. (I for one would accept anecdotal reports on the matter, but if you're in an excessively science-uber-alles mood YMMV.)
- aliston 16y ago
  Right -- this was my initial reaction. You can generate more thrust in a higher viscosity fluid, which will "cancel out" the increased friction, but it also takes more energy to generate the increased thrust, so you'd tire out more quickly.
  - bryanh 16y ago
    This may sound absurd, but I wonder if this has ever been seriously tried as a training platform for competitive swimmers.
    - mcav 16y ago
      I'd hate to practice swimming in corn syrup, if only due to the risk of inhaling mouthfuls of corn syrup, which I imagine would be more difficult to get rid of than a mouthful of seawater.
    - electromagnetic 16y ago
      IIRC mythbusters used a medal winning swimmer and he couldn't perform. His body was attuned to swimming in water and he was messing up on his strokes (from what it looked like, he was taking longer to do a stroke in the more viscous liquids but he was going further with each stroke).

by S_A_P 16y ago

klous 16y ago

Yep, Mythbusters covered this. http://dsc.discovery.com/videos/mythbusters-swimming-syrup/ http://dsc.discovery.com/videos/mythbusters-swimming-syrup/

watty 16y ago

I think the turn would be considerably slower due to the extra friction in the somersault. When swimming straight, there is a "narrow frontal profile" and little form drag but that isn't true when spinning in the water. I wouldn't have guessed the results of this experiment so my slower turn theory is probably wrong as well...

jerf 16y ago

Note this article does predate the Mythbusters episode (and the study probably precipitated it). The Mythbusters anecdotally reported that while you could go roughly as fast in high-viscosity fluid it was much harder; IIRC Jamie couldn't even finish his highest-viscosity run, or at least made very heavy weather of it. (I for one would accept anecdotal reports on the matter, but if you're in an excessively science-uber-alles mood YMMV.)

aliston 16y ago
Right -- this was my initial reaction. You can generate more thrust in a higher viscosity fluid, which will "cancel out" the increased friction, but it also takes more energy to generate the increased thrust, so you'd tire out more quickly.
- bryanh 16y ago
  This may sound absurd, but I wonder if this has ever been seriously tried as a training platform for competitive swimmers.
  - mcav 16y ago
    I'd hate to practice swimming in corn syrup, if only due to the risk of inhaling mouthfuls of corn syrup, which I imagine would be more difficult to get rid of than a mouthful of seawater.
  - electromagnetic 16y ago
    IIRC mythbusters used a medal winning swimmer and he couldn't perform. His body was attuned to swimming in water and he was messing up on his strokes (from what it looked like, he was taking longer to do a stroke in the more viscous liquids but he was going further with each stroke).