QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s):
Home     Help     Feedback     Subscriptions     Archive     Search     Table of Contents

This Article Figures Only Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Related articles in JEB Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Zamparo, P. Articles by Minetti, A. E. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Zamparo, P. Articles by Minetti, A. E. Social Bookmarking                         What's this?

The Journal of Experimental Biology 205, 2665-2676 (2002)
© 2002 The Company of Biologists Limited

How fins affect the economy and efficiency of human swimming

P. Zamparo^1,2,*, D. R. Pendergast³, B. Termin³ and A. E. Minetti²

¹ Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Biomediche, Universita' degli Studi di Udine, Italy
² Centre for Biophysical and Clinical Research into Human Movement, Manchester Metropolitan University, Alsager, United Kingdom
³ Centre of Research and Education in Special Environments, State University of New York at Buffalo, USA

^* Author for correspondence at present address: Centre for Biophysical and Clinical Research into Human Movement, Manchester Metropolitan University, Hassall Road, Alsager, ST7 2HL, UK (e-mail: P.Zamparo{at}mmu.ac.uk — PZamparo{at}makek.dstb.uniud.it)

Accepted 8 June 2002

The aim of the present study was to quantify the improvements in the economy and efficiency of surface swimming brought about by the use of fins over a range of speeds (v) that could be sustained aerobically. At comparable speeds, the energy cost (C) when swimming with fins was about 40 % lower than when swimming without them; when compared at the same metabolic power, the decrease in C allowed an increase in v of about 0.2 ms^-1. Fins only slightly decrease the amplitude of the kick (by about 10 %) but cause a large reduction (about 40 %) in the kick frequency. The decrease in kick frequency leads to a parallel decrease of the internal work rate (_int, about 75 % at comparable speeds) and of the power wasted to impart kinetic energy to the water (_k, about 40 %). These two components of total power expenditure were calculated from video analysis (_int) and from measurements of Froude efficiency (_k). Froude efficiency (_F) was calculated by computing the speed of the bending waves moving along the body in a caudal direction (as proposed for the undulating movements of slender fish); _F was found to be 0.70 when swimming with fins and 0.61 when swimming without them. No difference in the power to overcome frictional forces (_d) was observed between the two conditions at comparable speeds. Mechanical efficiency [_tot/(Cv), where _tot=_k+_int+_d] was found to be about 10 % larger when swimming with fins, i.e. 0.13±0.02 with and 0.11±0.02 without fins (average for all subjects at comparable speeds).

Key words: energetics, biomechanics, swimming, fin, human, energy, balance

CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter    What's this?

Related articles in JEB:

Dragging the Speed Down

Kathryn Phillips
JEB 2002 205: i-i1704. [Full Text]  

This article has been cited by other articles:

				J. R. Lovvorn, Y. Watanuki, A. Kato, Y. Naito, and G. A. Liggins Stroke patterns and regulation of swim speed and energy cost in free-ranging Brunnich's guillemots J. Exp. Biol., December 15, 2004; 207(26): 4679 - 4695. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. E. Minetti Passive tools for enhancing muscle-driven motion and locomotion J. Exp. Biol., March 15, 2004; 207(8): 1265 - 1272. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]