Racing start velocity, body shaving, drag forces, and drinking chocolate milk for a quicker recovery after workouts are just a few of the subjects Joel Stager and his team of researchers at Indiana University's Counsilman Center have been studying.
The researchers are carrying on the work of James "Doc" Counsilman, regarded as one of the revolutionary coaches in swimming history. From interval training and pace clocks to underwater cameras and streamlining, Counsilman made it his life's goal to marry the science and art of swimming. His expertise helped Indiana University win six consecutive NCAA championships from 1968 to 1973, and put Gary Hall, Mark Spitz, John Kinsella and others on the Olympic team.
"I was fortunate enough to come here, literally at his (Counsilman's) urging," Stager said. "He felt like his big legacy was merging science to the preparation of athletes at the elite level." A new Endless Pool at the center will be a part of many more research projects, Stager said. One that he is excited to start is a study that will result in an algorithm that will enable a swimmer to instantly know how many calories were burned in a workout. Stroke frequency and distance per stroke, he said, will be the two main elements that will guide this study.
If Counsilman were alive to see the progress the center has made in the past decade, Stager is certain "Doc" would be proud. "He'd be right smack dab in the center of it all," Stager said. "He loved to innovate and experiment. Nothing was outside his realm of curiosity."
The above post references the Swimming World artical by Jeff Commings Titled : Doc Counsilman's Curiosity Lives on at Indiana University's Counsilman Center - September 10, 2012