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Lionel Sanders proves that shaving your legs and arms makes you faster

Triathletes have been debating for years whether or not shaving your legs makes a difference.

Photo by: Kevin Mackinnon

In a recent video documenting a wind tunnel session he did in Germany last month (see below), Lionel Sanders tested whether or not he would be faster if he shaved his arms and legs. Turns out it actually makes a huge difference – much to the Canadian triathlon star’s chagrin.

Smooth legs are faster than hairy legs

A self-admitted “massive sceptic” and “massive hater” about whether or not shaving down actually makes a difference, Sanders tested himself in the wind tunnel to find out.

The baseline test, done at 250 watts, netted Sanders a CDA of .225. After shaving his arms and legs, the CDA dropped to .212. According to Sanders, that equates to saving 13 watts. That would be a time saving of 53 seconds over an Olympic distance race, 2 minutes and seven seconds over a half- (70.3-) distance and a whopping 4:04 for a full-distance (Ironman).

Having done the test myself … in a good wind tunnel, with a great team around … As a sceptic it’s really difficult for me to get my head around that it’s worth 13 watts, but that’s what our data indicated. The conclusion is that I will shave my arms and legs at every race here on out … for the rest of my career.

“If you’re looking for cheap, free speed, shaving your arms and legs is the way to find it,” Sanders concluded.

Sanders isn’t the only one who has proven in a wind tunnel that shaving your arms and legs makes a big difference – other studies have shown that it makes a difference, which is why its standard fare for elite cyclists.

Shaving your legs is also helpful if you end up in a bike crash – your road rash will be easier to treat and you’ll also reduce the risk of infection.

Shaving down for the swim

While Sanders proved that he will be faster on the bike, shaving down for swimming has long been a practice for elite swimmers. In addition to the purported hydrodynamic benefits, shaving down also removes a layer of skin which helps with your feel in the water.

“What it really does, in my opinion, is it takes off the first layer of skin, so your body is more sensitized to the water,” Bob Bowman, Michael Phelps’ coach, told Associated Press last year. “You definitely feel different when you do it. I think that’s the key. You take off the top layer of your skin and your body is more sensitive to the feel of the water.”

That feeling is negated, of course, in a full wetsuit swim, but for non-wetsuit swims or for athletes who wear a sleeveless wetsuit, shaving the arms should enhance the feel for the water.