Active and passive drag: The role of trunk incline

Paola Zamparo; G. Gatta; D. Pendergast; C. Capelli

doi:10.1007/s00421-009-1007-8

Active and passive drag: The role of trunk incline

Paola Zamparo
, G. Gatta
, D. Pendergast
, C. Capelli

Physiology and Biophysics

Dipartimento di Scienze Neurologiche e della Visione
University of Verona
University of Bologna

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

88 Scopus citations

Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate the role of trunk incline (TI) and projected frontal area (A_eff) in determining drag during active/passive measurements. Active drag (D_a) was measured in competitive swimmers at speeds from 0.6 to 1.4 m s^-1; speed specific drag (D_a/v²) was found to decrease as a function of v (P < 0.001) to indicate that the human body becomes more streamlined with increasing speed. Indeed, both A_eff and TI were found to decrease with v (P < 0.001) whereas C_d (the drag coefficient) was found to be unaffected by v. These data suggest that speed specific drag depend essentially on A_eff. Additional data indicate that A_eff is larger during front crawl swimming than during passive towing (0.4 vs. 0.24 m²). This suggest that D_a/v² is larger than D_p/v² and, at a given speed, that D_a is larger than D_p.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	195-205
Number of pages	11
Journal	European Journal of Applied Physiology
Volume	106
Issue number	2
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-009-1007-8
State	Published - 2009

Keywords

Drag coefficient
Hydrodynamic resistance
Projected frontal area
Swimming

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10.1007/s00421-009-1007-8

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title = "Active and passive drag: The role of trunk incline",

abstract = "The aim of this study was to investigate the role of trunk incline (TI) and projected frontal area (Aeff) in determining drag during active/passive measurements. Active drag (Da) was measured in competitive swimmers at speeds from 0.6 to 1.4 m s-1; speed specific drag (Da/v2) was found to decrease as a function of v (P < 0.001) to indicate that the human body becomes more streamlined with increasing speed. Indeed, both Aeff and TI were found to decrease with v (P < 0.001) whereas Cd (the drag coefficient) was found to be unaffected by v. These data suggest that speed specific drag depend essentially on Aeff. Additional data indicate that Aeff is larger during front crawl swimming than during passive towing (0.4 vs. 0.24 m2). This suggest that Da/v2 is larger than Dp/v2 and, at a given speed, that Da is larger than Dp.",

keywords = "Drag coefficient, Hydrodynamic resistance, Projected frontal area, Swimming",

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T1 - Active and passive drag

T2 - The role of trunk incline

AU - Zamparo, Paola

AU - Gatta, G.

AU - Pendergast, D.

AU - Capelli, C.

PY - 2009

Y1 - 2009

N2 - The aim of this study was to investigate the role of trunk incline (TI) and projected frontal area (Aeff) in determining drag during active/passive measurements. Active drag (Da) was measured in competitive swimmers at speeds from 0.6 to 1.4 m s-1; speed specific drag (Da/v2) was found to decrease as a function of v (P < 0.001) to indicate that the human body becomes more streamlined with increasing speed. Indeed, both Aeff and TI were found to decrease with v (P < 0.001) whereas Cd (the drag coefficient) was found to be unaffected by v. These data suggest that speed specific drag depend essentially on Aeff. Additional data indicate that Aeff is larger during front crawl swimming than during passive towing (0.4 vs. 0.24 m2). This suggest that Da/v2 is larger than Dp/v2 and, at a given speed, that Da is larger than Dp.

AB - The aim of this study was to investigate the role of trunk incline (TI) and projected frontal area (Aeff) in determining drag during active/passive measurements. Active drag (Da) was measured in competitive swimmers at speeds from 0.6 to 1.4 m s-1; speed specific drag (Da/v2) was found to decrease as a function of v (P < 0.001) to indicate that the human body becomes more streamlined with increasing speed. Indeed, both Aeff and TI were found to decrease with v (P < 0.001) whereas Cd (the drag coefficient) was found to be unaffected by v. These data suggest that speed specific drag depend essentially on Aeff. Additional data indicate that Aeff is larger during front crawl swimming than during passive towing (0.4 vs. 0.24 m2). This suggest that Da/v2 is larger than Dp/v2 and, at a given speed, that Da is larger than Dp.

KW - Drag coefficient

KW - Hydrodynamic resistance

KW - Projected frontal area

KW - Swimming

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ER -

Active and passive drag: The role of trunk incline

Abstract

Keywords

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