Aqua Shift provides a significant reduction in wave and pressure drag

The difference between finishing first and coming in second in competitive swimming is measured in milliseconds, so when a swimmer's technique and fitness is as good as it gets, a coach turns to one remaining variable to sharpen the competitive edge -- the swimsuit. In that scenario, scientists in the Center for Research and Education in Special Environments at the University at Buffalo (UB) may be a coach's best friends. They have a patent pending on a structural element that can improve a swimmer's time by decreasing the force water exerts on swimmers, called "drag," by 10 percent when incorporated into the swimsuit design. The new element, which the researchers call a turbulator, alters the fluid dynamics of water as it flows over and around the swimmer. How drag acts on a body moving through water plays an important role in the amount of energy a competitor must exert to cover a specific distance: less drag, less energy required, quicker finish.

Source: tyr.comAdded: 3 January 2006