Just one hundredth of a second separates elite swimmers from the podium, but what are the physical forces at work behind these tiny margins, and how can an understanding of them be used to improve your own technique in the pool?

Swimming Science investigates, with each chapter focussing on a different area. From swimming technology, physiology, and psychology to hydrodynamics, the key principles of swimming science are addressed, with the content organised around a series of questions. What creates the drag in the water? How have swim suits evolved? Which muscles generate propulsion? How much force do elite swimmers use? Each question is investigated using up-to-date science and explanatory info-graphics.