Turns decide not only hundredths of a second in many races; they also influence the energetic structure of performance. A 2026 study shows that 400 metres freestyle in a short-course pool can be energetically more economical than on long course when the greater number of turns is executed well.
The researchers found that swimmers were faster on average at comparable intensity in the short-course pool without a substantial worsening of physiological load measures. At the same absolute speed, energy cost was even higher on long course.
What does this mean for training?
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This is highly relevant to day-to-day coaching. Turns should not be treated merely as an additional technical component. Improving approach, rotation, push-off and underwater phase can not only save time but also influence the overall economy of the race.
Sets in which turn quality has to remain stable under increasing fatigue are particularly useful. Good turns are not a detail—they are a genuine performance factor.
Why the turn is so interesting energetically
The advantage of a good turn does not arise only at the wall itself. After a powerful push-off, the body moves through the water at high speed for a short time without immediately requiring a complete arm-stroke cycle. The better streamline position, push-off direction and transition into underwater swimming work, the longer this speed can be used.
That is why the turn should not be viewed in isolation as a fast somersault. The entire sequence matters: the final strokes before the wall, the distance to the wall, rotation, foot contact, push-off, body position underwater and finally the transition back into surface swimming.
Even small technical errors have multiple consequences. A swimmer who arrives too far from or too close to the wall loses speed before the push-off. A swimmer who is not properly streamlined after the push-off creates additional drag. And a swimmer who mistimes the breakout gives away part of the speed advantage that was just created.
Implications for coaches
In training, it therefore makes sense not only to practise turns separately, but to integrate them regularly into complete race sections. One example is sets with defined 5-, 10- or 15-metre times before and after the wall. This makes it visible whether a faster rotation actually produces a faster overall passage.
Consistency is just as important. An excellent first turn is of little use if quality deteriorates markedly over the course of a 200- or 400-metre race. Turns should therefore be analysed both when fresh and under increasing fatigue.
In performance analysis, simple direct comparisons between short-course and long-course times should be avoided. The number of turns changes the structure of the performance. That is precisely what makes the current research so valuable: it shows that pool length is not merely an organisational condition, but can have a measurable influence on performance demands.
SCIENTIFIC SOURCE
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41351759/