Can shaved legs make players run faster?

May 30, 2009 No Comments

Shaving legs (and bodies) is a standard practice for swimmers.

 

Swimmers have been shaving their bodies to reduce friction since the Melbourne Olympics in 1956. 

 

Shaving for swimming was pioneered in the 1950′s by Professor Frank Cotton (1880-1955) in Australia and a lot has been written about it since.

 

See Sharp RL, Hackney AC, Cain SM, and Ness RJ (1988): The effect of shaving body hair on the physiological cost of freestyle swimming. Journal of Swimming Research 4(1):9-13.

 

According to a study done at East Carolina University, shaving body hair increased the distance traveled per stroke by 5 percent. 

 

There may also be psychological advantages because swimmers feel like they are moving faster in the water.

 

According to Clubswim.com, 57 percent of swimmers responding to a survey believe that shaving will make them go faster.

 

So does does shaving legs improve running speed?

 

While shaving legs is popular with cyclists and sprinters, there does not seem to be any evidence to support the idea that it provides any speed advantage because the viscosity of water is much higher than air.

 

Apparently there are advantages for massaging and for cyclists and rollerbladers and wound cleaning (road rash).

 

We will stay with this story to see what the opinions are around rugby circles.

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