In swimming, whether it is short sprints or marathon events, women can often compete closely with men, and sometimes even surpass them. From differences in body composition to variations in energy use and pain tolerance, these factors create a fascinating dynamic where women’s natural advantages come into play.
Here’s a look at why women’s bodies are particularly well-suited to swimming — and why, in some cases, they can even outperform men.
The Distance Factor: How Longer Swims Change the Equation
For years, the world of competitive swimming has been dominated by the assumption that men are naturally faster and stronger due to their larger physiques and greater muscle mass. But recent research and real-world data reveal a surprising twist: women possess unique physiological advantages that allow them to excel in the water, often making them more efficient swimmers, especially over sustained distances.
In short sprints, like the 50-meter freestyle, men generally hold faster times, with the men’s world record for this event standing about 12% faster than the women’s record. But as distances increase, the gap between male and female times narrows significantly. For example, in the 1,500-meter freestyle, a longer event, the difference shrinks to only about 5.5%.
This trend becomes even more striking when we move to ultra-long distances, like open-water events. In the grueling 28-mile Manhattan Island Swim, the women’s record held for 13 years, with a difference of less than 1% compared to men’s times. In events like the Catalina Channel swim and the English Channel swim, women are often faster on average than men. Clearly, there is something unique happening with women’s endurance that allows them to keep pace — or even surpass men — over extreme distances.
5 Reasons Women Often Excel in Swimming
Let’s dive into the science and physiological factors that make women particularly well-suited for endurance swimming:
1. Lower VO2 Max and Oxygen Efficiency Over Time
VO2 max, or the maximum amount of oxygen the body can use during intense exercise, is often higher in men. However, in long, sustained activities, women benefit from a different aerobic efficiency. Women tend to perform well at a high percentage of their VO2 max for extended periods, enabling them to go longer without depleting energy levels as quickly as men. This stamina advantage allows women to maintain a more consistent pace in ultra-long-distance swims.
2. Higher Body Fat Percentage and Better Buoyancy
On average, women have a body fat percentage between 25-30%, while elite male swimmers typically range from 15-20%. This higher fat percentage gives women an edge in buoyancy, allowing them to achieve a more streamlined position in the water. Since water is about 800 times denser than air, even a slight buoyancy advantage results in less energy expended to stay afloat and maintain an efficient swimming posture. Better buoyancy also reduces drag, helping women conserve energy over long distances.
3. Superior Heat Retention and Lower Surface Area
Maintaining body heat in cold water is critical for endurance swimmers, and women’s physiology is well-suited to this challenge. Their higher body fat content acts as natural insulation, keeping core temperatures stable even in chilly conditions.
Additionally, because women are generally smaller in stature, they tend to lose heat more slowly due to a lower surface-area-to-volume ratio. This combination of insulation and efficient heat retention means women don’t expend as much energy keeping warm, freeing up more resources to focus on endurance.
Related: Schedule a free 30-minute strategy session with our swim coaches >
4. Fat Metabolism and Delayed “Hitting the Wall”
Women’s bodies are more adept at metabolizing fat as an energy source, which allows them to rely on fat stores longer before switching to carbohydrates, a key factor in sustaining energy over time. Men, on the other hand, tend to burn through carbs quicker, which leads to earlier fatigue during ultra-endurance events. By relying more on fat, which is a more abundant energy source, women can often delay the point of “hitting the wall” and maintain their pace for longer.
5. Higher Pain Tolerance and Mental Endurance
Research has shown that women often have a higher pain tolerance than men, an attribute that comes into play significantly during endurance events. This resilience is part of what enables women to swim for hours (or even days) without giving up. Whether it’s swimming the English Channel multiple times or pushing through fatigue on long open-water swims, this mental toughness and tolerance for discomfort give women an edge in ultra-endurance sports.
A Legacy of Endurance: Female Swimmers Making History
Over the years, many women have not only participated in but set records in open-water swimming that men have yet to surpass. Sarah Thomas, for example, holds the world record for the longest continuous swim at 104 miles, which took her an astounding 67 hours.
Similarly, Diana Nyad became the first person to swim from Cuba to Florida, covering 110 miles over 53 hours without a shark cage. These feats underscore the resilience and strength of women in endurance swimming, showcasing their remarkable ability to withstand physical and mental challenges.
When Endurance Outpaces Strength
While men may have an advantage in short-distance, high-intensity swims, women’s bodies are uniquely equipped to excel in long-distance swimming. Their physiology, buoyancy, metabolic efficiency, and mental resilience combine to create an impressive advantage in endurance events.
This fascinating contrast highlights that in sports — as in life — there’s no one-size-fits-all when it comes to performance.
When it comes to swimming long distances, women have shown time and time again that they can not only match but even surpass men.
Schedule a free 30-minute strategy session with our swim coaches >
