Cool Sportswear

Last year's New York Marathon (below) offered anappropriate setting for introducing a new line of athleticwear and Techni-Clothes Inc. of New York City was

on hand to demonstrate its space-spinoff apparel.Techni-Clothes is headed by Dr. Lawrence H. Kuznetz,who is also a bioengineer and physiologist at Johnson

Space Center (JSC), working in the Space Shuttleprogram. With the help of some JSC colleagues, Kuznetzhas developed a number of commercial products basedon his space expertise, in particular his experiencein designing circulating liquid cooling systems forastronauts' space suits.

Techni-Clothes' initial line is a series of items for

cooling athletes, allowing them to perform more

strenuous activity without becoming overheated. Like thespace suit, the apparel is designed to remove heat by thecirculating liquid method, which would have been toocumbersome for sports use. Instead, Techni-Clothes'gear incorporates packets containing a heat-absorbing

gel, a more efficient version of the "blue-ice" soldfor use in picnic coolers. The gel packet slips into aninsulated pocket of the athletic garment (left) and ispositioned near parts of the body where heat transfer ismost efficientmfor example, the forehead, neck orwrist. A gel packet is good for about an hour; it can bereplaced from a supply of spares in an insulatedcontainer worn on the belt.

At top right, a pair of New York marathoners runthrough warmup exercises, each wearing a coolingheadband; in the bottom right photo, marathonersdisplay other Techni-Clothes headgear. The company's

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linealsoincludeswristbandsandrunningshortswithgel-packpockets.Theproductsaretargetedprimarilyfortheestimated25millionrunnersandjoggersintheU.S.,buttheycanbeusedbyanyathletewhoseperformancemaybeaffectedbyhotweather.

ThephotoatleftillustratesstillanotherKuznetzproduct,alsoaspacespinoffbutbasedonsomewhatdifferenttechnology.Inthisapplication,Kuznetzemployedmaterialstechnologyandsystemsengineeringtechniquestodesignabraforfemalerunnersandjoggers.CalledtheSupport-HerBra,it ismanufacturedbyProtogsInc.,Hicksville,NewYork.Thehalter-likegarmentisnotjustamodestyaidtocurbembarassing"mammarybounce;"madeofaknitinterliningandanylonmeshoutershell,it isacarefullyengineeredrestraintandsupportdeviceintendedto preventshoulderandbackstrains,abrasionsandotherproblemsencounteredbywomenrunners,particularlythosewithlargebreasts.Theitemspicturedarethefirsttobecomecommerciallyavailable,butKuznetzandhisassociateshavedesignedseveralotherspacespinoffproducts,includingspecialpurposeclothing,survivalgearandmedicalrehabilitationdevices.

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