Nike launches new running suit inspired by… golf balls?!

The clever minds over at Nike HQ have developed a new running suit, which claims to significantly improve sprint times during the Olympics this summer because of its unique design based on… wait for it… the surface of a golf ball.

At the Olympics this summer, American, German, Chinese and Russian athletes will be wearing a new suit developed by Nike called the TurboSpeed. According to Fast Co Design, researchers at Nike claim the fancy new suit will improve 100m sprints by as much as .023 seconds, which is a huge amount of time for such a short race.

The incredibly light tracksuit has been through a rigorous series of wind tunnel tests over the past few years in order to ensure the design is as aerodynamic as possible. Interestingly, the suit consists of a number of dimples that are designed to reduce drag on certain areas of the athlete’s body. Fast Co Design explains that the team at Nike were inspired by the way golf balls move through the air:

“Those dimples help balls travel further because they create low pressure turbulence in the boundary layer on the wind-facing side of the ball as it’s flying through the air, which ultimately means less drag behind the ball.”

You may aso be surprised to learn that the TurboSpeed is rather environmentally friendly for a suit that looks like it’s from a sci-fi film. It’s made from 82% recycled polyester fabric, using around 13 recycled plastic bottles per suit!

[Via Fast Co Design]