Effect of Moisture-Wicking Garments on Temperature Regulation During Exercise

Kicklighter, Taz; Edsall, Jason R.; Martin, Malissa

doi:10.1123/ijatt.16.6.9

Cited by 7 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 17 publications

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“…However, sports clothing aims to mitigate this insulative effect via breathable and lightweight designs made from synthetic materials that aim to improve moisture transport (i.e. wicking of sweat) to promote evaporative heat loss, maximise wearer comfort, and in turn, enhance performance [11,12]. Sports Medicine Australia (SMA) acknowledges clothing selection as an important consideration for mitigating heat stress risk during exercise in the heat [13].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…A search on PubMed and SPORTDiscus databases was conducted in February 2021 using the terms: 'clothing' , 'apparel' , 'garment' , 'sportswear' , 'cooling' , 'thermoregulation' , 'comfort' , 'performance' , 'wicking' , and 'evaporation' . Some studies were also sourced from the reference lists of relevant review articles including those by Kicklighter et al [12] and Davis and Bishop [24]. A total of 51 studies were originally sourced following the literature search, of which 19 were excluded for not assessing thermoregulatory and comfort parameters within the same investigation.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The Role of Sports Clothing in Thermoregulation, Comfort, and Performance During Exercise in the Heat: A Narrative Review

2022

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The aims of this review are to (1) summarise the current research of sports clothing as it relates to thermoregulation, comfort, and performance during exercise in the heat, (2) identify methodological limitations and gaps in the knowledge base of sports clothing, and (3) provide recommendations for exercise testing protocols to accurately assess the impact of sports clothing in athletic populations during exercise in the heat. Sports clothing consists of lightweight and breathable fabrics, surface treatments, and various designs which aim to enhance sweat evaporation and comfort during exercise in the heat. Sports clothing comprised of natural, synthetic, and chemically treated fabrics has been investigated during exercise of varying durations (15–120 min), intensities (20–70% VO2 max) and types (fixed intensity, incremental, self-paced), and in an array of climatic conditions (18–40 °C, 20–60% relative humidity). To date, few studies have identified significant differences in thermo-physiological, perceptual, and performance measures between natural and synthetic fabrics or compared the effect of chemical treatments to their non-treated equivalent on such measures during exercise. Collectively, previous wearer trials have failed to replicate the upper limit of training and competition demands when assessing sports clothing in endurance-trained individuals who regularly train and compete in hot and humid climates. Clothing comfort has also been evaluated using simple scales which fail to capture intricate detail pertaining to psychological and sensorial parameters. The incorporation of protocols using hot and humid climates (≥ 30 °C, ≥ 70% relative humidity) and longer exercise durations (> 45 min) is warranted. Future research should also consider exploring the effect of sports clothing on thermal, physiological, perceptual, and performance measures between males and females, and assessing clothing comfort using a multi-dimensional approach.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Role of Sports Clothing in Thermoregulation, Comfort, and Performance During Exercise in the Heat: A Narrative Review

2022

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“…In recent years, moisture‐wicking materials have become very popular and have been widely used to produce tight‐fitting “functional” sportswear. Additionally, such tight‐fitting sportswear has been promoted by garment manufacturers, who claim this clothing assists athletes in body temperature regulation during exercise in hot environments (Kicklighter et al., ). However, one of the main concerns is that if the wicking properties of the chosen clothing materials are aggressive [e.g., very strong transplanar and in‐plane wicking ability (Rossi et al., ) ], the evaporative cooling efficiency could be greatly reduced and therefore, moisture‐wicking clothing may negatively affect body evaporative cooling from a thermo‐physiological viewpoint.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Real evaporative cooling efficiency of one‐layer tight‐fitting sportswear in a hot environment

Wang

Annaheim

Morrissey

et al. 2013

Scandinavian Med Sci Sports

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Real evaporative cooling efficiency, the ratio of real evaporative heat loss to evaporative cooling potential, is an important parameter to characterize the real cooling benefit for the human body. Previous studies on protective clothing showed that the cooling efficiency decreases with increasing distance between the evaporation locations and the human skin. However, it is still unclear how evaporative cooling efficiency decreases as the moisture is transported from the skin to the clothing layer. In this study, we performed experiments with a sweating torso manikin to mimic three different phases of moisture absorption in one-layer tight-fitting sportswear. Clothing materials Coolmax(®) (CM; INVISTA, Wichita, Kansas, USA; 100%, profiled cross-section polyester fiber), merino wool (MW; 100%), sports wool (SW; 50% wool, 50% polyester), and cotton (CO; 100%) were selected for the study. The results demonstrated that, for the sportswear materials tested, the real evaporative cooling efficiency linearly decreases with the increasing ratio of moisture being transported away from skin surface to clothing layer (adjusted R(2) >0.97). In addition, clothing fabric thickness has a negative effect on the real evaporative cooling efficiency. Clothing CM and SW showed a good ability in maintaining evaporative cooling efficiency. In contrast, clothing MW made from thicker fabric had the worst performance in maintaining evaporative cooling efficiency. It is thus suggested that thin fabric materials such as CM and SW should be used to manufacture one-layer tight-fitting sportswear.

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“…The potential for increased heat dissipation during exercise in warm/hot environments has led to lucrative sales in sports clothing and apparel. 16 However, it is important to note that while marketing campaigns have promoted the benefits of sportswear technology for improving heat dissipation, 17,18,24 the relevant scientific evidence comes primarily from thermal manikin research. 25 Currently, there is no robust physiological evidence that makes these findings applicable to humans.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…15 Today, there is an ongoing opportunity for the clothing industry to explore new and innovative ways to develop textiles that facilitate heat dissipation and reduce the hazards of heat stress and injuries in exercising individuals. 16 Sportswear technologies with properties that enhance heat transfer from the body to the surrounding environment could provide a performance advantage for athletes who must perform in the heat. However, there is controversy regarding the effectiveness of such sportswear technology, [17][18][19] particularly as some previous research has shown no significant physiological differences between exercising shirtless and clothed in warm environments.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effect of sportswear on performance and physiological heat strain during prolonged running in moderately hot conditions

Ioannou,

Tsoutsoubi,

Gkiata

et al. 2023

Scandinavian Med Sci Sports

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IntroductionThis study examined the impact of different upper‐torso sportswear technologies on the performance and physiological heat strain of well‐trained and national‐level athletes during prolonged running in moderately hot conditions.MethodsA randomized crossover design was employed in which 20 well‐trained (n = 16) and national‐level (n = 4) athletes completed four experimental trials in moderately hot conditions (35°C, 30% relative humidity). In each trial, participants ran at 70% of their peak oxygen uptake (70% V̇O2peak) for 60 min, while wearing a different upper‐body garment: cotton t‐shirt, t‐shirt with sweat‐wicking fabric, compression t‐shirt, and t‐shirt with aluminum dots lining the inside of the upper back of the garment. Running speed was adjusted to elicit the predetermined oxygen consumption associated with 70% V̇O2peak. Physiological (core and skin temperatures, total body water loss, and urine specific gravity) and perceptual (thermal comfort and sensation, ratings of perceived exertion, and garment cooling functionality) parameters along with running speed at 70% V̇O2peak were continuously recorded.ResultsNo significant differences were observed between the four garments for running speed at 70% V̇O2peak, physiological heat strain, and perceptual responses (all p > 0.05). The tested athletes reported larger areas of perceived suboptimal cooling functionality in the cotton t‐shirt and the t‐shirt with aluminum dots relative to the sweat‐wicking and compression t‐shirts (d: 0.43–0.52).ConclusionThere were not differences among the tested garments regarding running speed at 70% V̇O2peak, physiological heat strain, and perceptual responses in well‐trained and national‐level endurance athletes exercising in moderate heat.

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Effect of Moisture-Wicking Garments on Temperature Regulation During Exercise

Cited by 7 publications

References 17 publications

The Role of Sports Clothing in Thermoregulation, Comfort, and Performance During Exercise in the Heat: A Narrative Review

The Role of Sports Clothing in Thermoregulation, Comfort, and Performance During Exercise in the Heat: A Narrative Review

Real evaporative cooling efficiency of one‐layer tight‐fitting sportswear in a hot environment

Effect of sportswear on performance and physiological heat strain during prolonged running in moderately hot conditions

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