MEN'S SWIMMING & DIVING

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BUFFALO, NY - In a day where the word swimsuit is synonymous with Sports Illustrated and models, when a swimsuit is actually created for what it can do in the water, it often goes overlooked. The Center for Research and Education in Special Environments at the University at Buffalo has worked hard over the last 20 years to design a swimsuit that requires less energy from the swimmer.

Dr. David Pendergast, professor of physiology and biophysics, and Dr. Joseph Mollendorf, professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering, are the key researchers behind the whole project. UB men's swimming head coach Budd Termin has worked closely with them in their research, and members of UB's men's and women's swim teams have also played a key role, acting as subjects throughout their study.

"My research group has been studying swimming since our annular pool opened in 1970," said Pendergast. "Over this time, we developed methods of quantitatively measuring swimming performance, including a variable called drag."

Drag is the resistance of the water as a swimmer moves through it. Drag is a swimmer's biggest competitor, more than the other swimmers in a race. When Termin heard of Pendergast's research 15 years ago, he asked that his team be used in the experiments.

"Over the years, our swimmers have gotten used to being tested," said Termin. "However, from my standpoint as the coach, I have tried to create opportunities for our swimmers to be exposed to the best in the business and what it takes to really compete at the top level."

The "top level" is where these new suits have already been viewed. They made their first appearance in January at the FINA World Cup meet in Long Island. Pendergast and Mollendorf were both thrilled to see all their work come to use.

"As scientists, Professor Mollendorf and I are motivated by conceptualizing an idea and then proving it works with scientific experiments," said Pendergast. "This product, in a relatively short time, has gone from an idea to a reality, which is very rewarding."

This swimsuit has gotten the endorsement of many professional swimmers because it allows them to use less energy, which allows them to swim further and faster. The swimsuits, which were picked up by major swimming company TYR, have built-in turbulators. These turbulators alter the fluid dynamics of water as it flows over and around the swimmer. Research has proven that these turbulators can improve a swimmer's time by three percent.

These swimsuits, which turned some heads at the FINA World Cup, should be a common site at the Olympic Games this summer in Athens, Greece. TYR has many athletes wearing its Aqua Shift suit, including gold medalist Yana Klochkova, from the Ukraine, and American silver medalist Erik Vendt.

Swimming has finally caught up with other sports such as downhill skiing, speed skating, and cycling, which have all been utilizing clothing to reduce drag for years. It has taken longer for swimming because it is a harder sport to simulate.

"The big limitation with swimming is that being able to study these properties in the water is quite complex," said Termin. "We have one of the best testing facilities in the world to study swimming right here on campus."

Pendergast says that even though it has been a great honor to see his creation all around the world, the great honor has yet to come.

"The highlight for me will hopefully be the issuing of the patent for the University at Buffalo and which will have Professor Mollendorf, Coach Termin and myself as the authors," said Pendergast.

These swimsuits are available to the public, but due to their price they are still mainly used only in major competitions. For more information on the Aqua Shift swimsuits, go to www.tyr.com.

~ Written by Brian Wolff, UB Athletic Communications Intern