Swimming versus Running (Read 1869 times)

When I can get some pool time in my running improves...not sure why, but I think it is the breathing part.  I suck with a capital S at swimming...but do love it.  I don't have easy access to a good pool so i don't get to swim as often as i would like to.  I don't bike so I can't compare.

" Is swimming more of a cardio sport and does it help with your breathing for running?"

 

No, not anymore than running or biking.

 

It probably is for you right now because as you say......."I suck at it".

 

My training heart rate is the lowest when I'm in the pool. Which it should be. I'm horizontal, I'm using fewer muscles and those that I am using are smaller. Swimming can be a very good cardio workout if your swimming sprints vs distance.......

 

I do believe that it helps with your breathing for running. For one, you learn to fully inflate your lungs in one breath, you learn that going hypoxic isn't going to kill you....but unless someone punches you in the gut in the final 100yds of a 5k I don't think going into a hypoxic state matters. It probably improves your oxygen efficiency but I have no data currently to point you too.

 

I do have some kick drills that I use that strengthens the core and uses the same muscles that running and biking does.

 

If you were to learn how to swim with proper technique I think you would find that you can glide thru the water with a pretty low heart rate.

Like slo_hand said, swimming is not any better cardio then running and might not even be as good.  It feels harder cause you are completely out of shape for it and probably don't have good technique yet.  You don't use your lats and triceps much in your daily life.  Imagine if you only used your legs for a combined total of 5 minutes a day for your entire life and then tried to start running.  Even a minute of running would wreck you.  

That said, I train in all 3 sports and do 1/4 to 1/2 the running volume I used to do when I was a pure runner and I'm nearly as good as I ever was.  And this is coming off an injury that had me not running for 5 months.  At my current rate of improvement I expect to be setting running PR's again real soon (technically I set one this morning but I hadn't run a 10 miler in 2 years so it was a soft PR).

Swimming can be a good cardio workout just like running or cycling. You can do long swims, tempo workouts or intervals just like for the other two sports. If you don't have good technique, you'll work harder to get to the same speed as someone with good technique. But if the point of your swimming is to get fit for running rather than to compete in swimming, then it doesn't matter. Swimming will be good for you for your cardio system and for strengthening your core and some muscles that you don't in the other sports.

I think that swimming gets bad rep in terms of cardio because swimmers with great cardio but not so good technique will often get passed by swimmers with poor cardio but good technique. This is frustrating to people coming to triathlon from running or cycling because in their sport your fitness level has a much greater importance relatively to technique.

So do swim and measure your pulse in the pool to correspond to the type of training you're trying to do. But note that the pulse swimming will always be lower than when running or cycling because (as slo hand mentions) you're horizontal and you're in cool water.