LIFE SAVERS
Staying alive
Testing the best techniques for surviving as long as possible in water.
In this test, heart rate, memory performance and energy consumption are measured while people tread water. | Image: Tina van Duijn
Don’t doggy-paddle and don’t kick. If you get into trouble in water, you should swim upright using breaststroke movements, because this requires the least amount of energy from average swimmers. It also keeps their brain clear. This is the finding of a study conducted by the Swiss sports scientist Tina van Duijn, who has measured the heart rate and memory performance of people while they tread water. She’s convinced it would be ideal if people were taught the correct water-treading technique when learning to swim in the first place.
