Body Systems Used In Swimming (Freestyle)By: Dylan Harrigan

Skeletal SystemIn swimming it is a commonly known fact that swimming is a non-weight bearing exercise therefore very little stress is placed on the bones. But if we are talking technically, every bone is used as all parts of your body needs to be moving to stay afloat. I am going to focus of the Middle distance freestyle events.

BONES

The main bones that are used when swimming freestyle from top to bottom are the bones of the shoulder girdle and arm which is used when rotating the arm over to complete the stroke, using the ball and socket joint, hinge joint and saddle joint. The bones used here are the clavicle, humerus, radius and the ulna.

Skeletal SystemNext down the body is the bones of the leg which include the Femur, Tibia and Fibula. These bones are used along with the hip joint, knee joint and ankle joint to kick your legs to propel the rest of your body through the water. The legs are the most important part of the freestyle stroke.

Swimming Freestyle

Muscular SystemFast or Slow Twitch?

When swimming the 400m Freestyle event, you use your Fast Twitch-A system or FT-A. FT -A fibers have a large motor neuron and fiber diameter, a high mitochondrial density, a medium capillary density, and a medium myoglobin content.

Muscular System

Muscular SystemSwimming puts enormous amounts of stress on the muscles. The muscles used in swimming are:

● The muscles in the upper limb which includes the thenars, brachioradialis, flexor digitorum profundus, biceps, triceps and the deltoids.

● The neck muscles, which is the sternocleidomastoid muscle.

● The front trunk muscles, which is the pectorals, serratus anterior, external oblique and the rectus abdominis.

Muscular System● The back trunk muscular group, which is the latissimus dorsi, trapezius,

spinus erectors, teres major, teres major, rhomboid major and the rhomboid minor

● The muscles of the lower trunk, which is the gluteus maximus and the abductor magnus

● Finally there is the muscles of the lower limb, which includes the quadriceps, hamstrings, gastrocnemius, tibialis anterior, abductor hallucius, abductor digiti minimi and the flexor digitorum brevis.

Muscular SystemThese muscle groups all work as one to make one major functioning body, The muscles work together to propel your body through the water. For example, as you roll your arms over, you are using the deltoid muscle, then as you continue on the stroke as it enters the water, you stretch your stroke, using the latissimus dorsi and the pectoralis major. Then as you are pulling yourself through the water, you dip your forearm, then pull the water, which uses the biceps brachii. As you roll yourself over to do another stroke, you are using your core muscles. Whilt doing this you are continuously pumping your legs, making sure you are kicking from the hips, putting a large amount of pressure on the gluteus maximus and the quadriceps.

Muscles Used Whilst Swimming

Energy SystemsSwimming the 400 metres freestyles in an extremely enduring event. One which is feared greatly by the swimming community because of it’s difficulty. The aim of the event is to break it down into 100’s. The swimmer strives to go out the first 100 at pb + 2-3 (your best 100 time + 2-3 seconds) then holding the next 200 metres at around pb+6 before maxing out the last 100, giving all you got left and bringing the race home. At the beginning of the race you use your ATP System, using short, fast bursts of energy, before your anaerobic or ATP PC system kicks in. This is between the 1 minutes stage of the race until about the 3 minute 30 mark. After that for the final parts of the race you would use your aerobic energy system. An average 400m freestyle swim at my age would sit around the 4 minutes 30 mark, sitting it in the Anaerobic zone for the majority of the race.

ATP PC

Lactic acid system

Energy Systems“Correct use of the training principles will create superior organization and more functional content, means, methods, factors, and training concepts.”

Respiratory and Circulatory SystemsSwimming is a form of aerobic exercise that strives on the improvement of strength, flexibility, coordination and balance. Swimming is known to improve the circulatory (or cardiovascular) system gravely. Swimming on a regular basis can improve heart contractility, decrease blood pressure, lower heart rate and improve lung efficiency.

When swimming, it is a must to be efficiently breathing. Whilst swimming the 400 Freestyle, it is recommended that the swimmer breathes every 3-4 strokes, depending on their preference. Each time a person breathes their diaphragm contracts and downwards increasing the space in the chest cavity. As your lungs expand and air is sucked in through your nose or mouth, which the air then travels down your windpipe and into your lungs.

Respiratory and Circulatory SystemsThe air will then continue through the bronchial tubes before finally reaching the alveoli (air sacs). Through the extremely thin walls of the alveoli, oxygen from the air passes passes to the surrounding capillaries (blood vessels) which then a protein called hemoglobin helps move the oxygen from the Alveoli to the blood. Whilst this is happening, the carbon dioxide moves from the capillaries to the alveoli.

The oxygen then attaches to the red blood cells, enters your heart and then flows in your bloodstream to your organs, muscles and body tissues. When your blood returns to the lungs, the carbon dioxide is released from the bloodstream into the air that you exhale.

Respiratory and Circulatory SystemsSince swimming is an aerobic exercise, your body requires increased amounts of oxygen, which then helps turn stored fat into energy.

It is a known fact that swimmers’ hearts pump more blood with every beat. Blood circulation is a crucial function in the body. It supplies the much needed oxygen to the brain and other organs, which in turn is what makes our bodies work!

Muscles in your body metabolise glucose (sugar) in your bloodstream, breaking it down and taking it in to create a high energy molecule known as ATP, which is extremely important for cells functioning. Part of this process demands oxygen to fully deteriorate the glucose so when you need more energy metabolised, you'll need more oxygen too.

Respiratory and Circulatory Systems If you don't get enough oxygen, your muscles will not be able to fully break down available glucose, in retrospect, becoming fatigued and producing lactic acid instead, giving you a sore, sluggish feeling.

In swimming, to train hard and hit correct times, you need to control your breathing. It is calculated to add on 0.25 seconds on top of your final time each breath. Also, breathing plays a major role in maintaining fatigue, turning the lactic acid that has built up and using it as an energy boost.

Respiratory and Circulatory System

HydrationHydration, alongside recover and breathing, is a vital part of maintaining peak performance during training and when competing. Unless fluid losses are replenished whilst exercising, the athlete will start to dehydrate. Dehydration decreases training performance by;

● increased heart rate

● impaired heat regulation

● increased perceived exertion (i.e. exercise feels harder

than usual and the athlete fatigues earlier)

● reduced mental function

● reduced skill level

● stomach upset

HydrationAll levels of dehydration damage performance and the magnitude increases as the degree of dehydration increases. In order to keep from becoming dehydrated, the athlete must consume as much fluids as they are loosing during sweat. Sports drinks are the preferred fluid to consume during exercise. Sports drinks are flavoured therefore encourage a greater fluid intake. The carbohydrate and electrolytes in sports drinks promote better fluid absorption. The carbohydrate also provides a fuel source. Other fluids such as water, cordial and juice may be suitable when exercise intensity is low.

Seeing as whilst swimming, you produce more sweat than any other single sport, you need to make sure you are hydrated to keep on pushing through high intensity training.

Bibliography● http://www.livestrong.com/article/334540-effects-of-swimming-on-respiratory-system-of-humans/● http://www.swimtoslim.com/2010/12/muscles-used-swimming/● http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/hlw/whathappens● http://www.google.com.au/search?q=whats+the+circulatory+system&oq=whats+the+circulatory+system&aqs=ch

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