Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!husc6!uwvax!oddjob!tank!marb
From: marb@tank.uchicago.edu (marty e billingsley)
Newsgroups: sci.bio
Subject: Re: Fat Swimmers
Keywords: "but, Why?"
Message-ID: <405@tank.uchicago.edu>
Date: 18 Oct 88 20:25:55 GMT
References: <78300004@p.cs.uiuc.edu> <421@geovision.UUCP> <1504@maccs.McMaster.CA>
Reply-To: marb@tank.uchicago.edu.UUCP (marty e billingsley)
Organization: University of Chicago
Lines: 48

In article <1504@maccs.McMaster.CA> kenm@maccs.UUCP (...Jose) writes:
>>In article <78300004@p.cs.uiuc.edu> gillies@p.cs.uiuc.edu writes:
>>[...]
>>I seem to remember reading a table that said world-class marathoners
>>average 8.5% body fat, and swimmers average 12+% bodyfat.  Does
>>someone know the REAL (i.e. researched/verified/published) answer to
>>this question?
>
>	Several articles have commented on why it may be helpful to 
>a swimmer to have extra body fat, but any ideas on HOW they develop this?
>	Do they peruposely put on the weight, or is it  
>possibly a response to the prolonged exposure to cold?  I would imagine
>it to be intenttionally gained... any one know better?
>
>     - Kenneth C. Moyle


Well, speaking from personal experience, I can say that the fat is *not* 
intentionally gained.  I have always been a runner (competed in college).  My 
sister has always been a swimmer (also competed in college).  Both of us are 
very similar, except when it comes to body shape.  Although we're the same
height and have the same type of bone structure, I am heavier than she is,
have bigger legs, and a lower fat percentage (8% usually).  My sister
has smaller legs, much bigger shoulders, but a layer of fat, especially on her
upper body, that she can't get rid of.  Her body fat has never been below
11%, although she works out a *lot* more than I do, and eats a lot better than 
I do (lots of pasta and no sweets).

I tend to agree that fat is gained for both insulation and buoyancy purposes.
When I swim, I freeze to death (it would help if I put on some fat).  Also,
when I wear a wet suit, I go substantially faster than without.  So the 
buoyancy does help you go faster.

An interesting note: since my sister has started runing some, she's dropped 
some of her fat - mostly from the shoulders.  So I would say that the body
knows what it's doing when it decides to get fat and when it decides to get
skinny.

  - Marty   

P.S. For the purpose of this discussion, it is important to realize that 
     I am a female.

-- 
"Haven't you got anything?"                    |  Marty Billingsley         | 
"Sorry.  Not on me."                           |  marb@sphinx.uchicago.edu  |
"We could stop at your cash machine."          ------------------------------
"We could," he agreed, "but it would only be a social call."