HIS CHEST

LIke almost all professional swimmers, Adam shaves his chest, arms, legs and armpits before taking to the pool, and covers much of his body in Vaseline.

Some believe that removing dead skin cells from the surface of the body produces a new layer of hypersensitive cells that allow you to travel faster through the water. Others say that body hair tends to slow you down.

Scientists are generally divided over the question of whether either step does much to improve an elite swimmer’s performance. But they do give him a psychological boost.