Swimming is Fattening page 2

[Coach Palfrey]

There is very little if any correlation between exercise/activity selection and body composition. There are just too many variables to consider - diet, intensity, frequency, experience, genetics, hereditary factors etc.

[TorMag]

This is another case of CW gone bad. I have heard that my whole life, "Swimmers are fat because of the cold water, it builds up a layer of fat", complete nonesense, just look at all the top swimmers in the world.

[federkeil]

You see a lot of overweight swimmers because people who are very overweight are often encouraged to start with swimming or other water classes to keep pressure off their joints. Also, people with chronic illnesses are frequently told to do the same thing.

It has nothing to do with swimming making you fat. It's just a selection bias.

This.

Every time I've had a lower body joint injury I've been told to get in the pool for rehab. It takes a lot of the stress of the joint, allows for good ROM and works the muscles that support the joint.

And just like any other activity, exertion levels vary.

[snoops]

I've been around pools and swimmers all my life. I do think there is a tendancy to see ex swimmers with weight gain problems more than in other sports. I've also heard the cold water and body needing extra fat to compensate theory. Not sure what the issue is. Sure when they are training swimers are in great shape. I wonder if its the distances they do. 4-5 hours a day just swimming. Overtraining in my mind. So is it the cold water, the chronic cardio.

I don't think any of this applies to recreational swimmers. Like a mile or up to an hour swim.

[solstice]

thanks for all the replies...just got back from the pool I will consider doing swim sprints once a week. Should I still do a warm up or just throw myself into it? Recently picked up fins and love how it makes my legs feel in the water. Oh...I'm a she---so not looking for manly lats...but I can do butterfly

Makes sense about swimming to reduce the stress and why overweight people might find this a better gateway exercise. I do think I end up in cardio range though...will try to pay more attention to that.

Just got home from a week's vacation where they had an outdoor lap pool off the beach...it was glorious!

[Karma]

Swimming is 90% technique. Many former elite or college swimmers have let themselves go and have gotten fat. However, their technique is still there and they can often smoke everyday recreational swimmers simply because they have good technique. It bugs the crap out of me too. I will be busting my ass and the whale in the lane next to me is cruising along at speeds i wish I had.

Swimming is great exercise, you BIL & SIL are full of shit because I see huge bikers ALL THE TIME.

[ashleyisbister]

Dont worry, I'm a she too. I did butterfly all the time, and I didn't end up looking manly. I would definitely warm up first. If you try to do sprints first without your muscles warmed up a little bit, you would definitely be priming yourself for injury. Not something you want to do. Careful with using fins too much too, because your feet can cramp up pretty bad, and because it also cuts down your range of motion, it wont help you in the long run muscle wise.

[teach2183]

I can't wait for the day that we can afford to belong to a gym with a pool, or even live in a community with a pool so I can swim again. Very relaxing for me, much more enjoyable than running.

[IcarianVX]

I have seen plenty of people on bikes (wearing spandex of course) where their ass looks like it ate the seat.

I had a similar argument with my SIL (a long time ago) about how wine drinkers are thinner than beer drinkers (she is also a cyclist). It's a hasty generalization and most people do this because they are too lazy to think and it makes them feel better if they think they are in the right group.

During that same conversation she blurted out that if she and I were stranded on a deserted island that I would live longer because I had more bodyfat and could live off if it. And while I did acknowledge that the part of the bodyfat thingy might be true, I could guarantee I would live longer because I would have killed her and eaten her. Probably within the first few minutes of being "stranded." No need in delaying the inevitable.

[emmie]

I learned to swim as an adult, and since I was morbidly obese with severe osteoarthritis, swimming laps was an ideal exercise for me. I think it really helped keep me fit during the 35 years that I swam regularly--but recreationally--slow laps.

Eventually, I lost a massive amount of weight via diet, but about a year ago, I hurt my shoulder, and both my doctor and the physical therapists warned me against swimming for a while. I'm a post-menopausal woman, and I already knew that I needed some weight-bearing exercise, but my arthritic ankles and knees couldn't handle even walking, much less any running. So I began strength work, using the machines at my health club (don't sneer), and focusing on my lower body to strengthen my legs.

It's been amazing. I have muscle definition for probably the first time in my life, and at the same weight, I wear smaller sizes because I've become so much leaner. The surgeon I consulted about possible knee replacement advised me to hold off because 1) I have little pain with no meds at all; 2) my stronger legs compensate for the weak joints.

I plan to return to swimming because I love it, but it didn't give me that body that strength training has provided--and happily, I'm addicted to this now, too.