Skip to main content

Table 2 Research findings from the assessment of thermoregulation, performance, and comfort in sportswear

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

Study

Sample size

Training status

Acclimatisation status

Sex

Apparel

Thermal

Physiological

Perception

PRFM

Abdallah et al. [17]

20

Trained

Not specified

Males and females

Long sleeve shirt and full-length pants

CTR (synthetic blend)

EXP (synthetic blend)

↔ Tcore

↔ Tskin

↔ SR

↔ SL

↔ SE

↔ HS

↔ HR

↔ VO2

↔ VT

↔ Thermal sensation

↔ Skin wettedness

↔ Clothing comfort

↔ RPE

↔ TTE

Barwood et al. [42]

8

Recreationally active

Not specified

Males

Lower-body garment

CTR (shorts)

EXP1 (correct fit)

EXP2 (oversized)

↔ Tcore

↔ Tskin

↔ Tbody

↔ SL

↔ HR

↔ Thermal sensation

↔ Thermal comfort↔ RPE

↔ TT

(5 km)

Brazaitis et al. [27]

8

Recreationally active

Not specified

Males

Long sleeve t-shirt,

CTR (natural fibre)

EXP (synthetic fibre)

↔ Tcore

↔ Tskin

↔ Tbody

↔ SL

↔ PSI

↑SE

↔ HR

↔ Thermal sensation

↔ clothing wetness

–

Collins et al. [55]

11

Recreationally active

Not specified

Females

Short sleeve t-shirts and sleeveless shirts

CTR (synthetic and natural fibres)

EXP (synthetic fibre)

↔ Tskin

↔ SR

↔ HR

↑Breathability

↔ Clinginess

↔ Freshness

↔ Weight

↓Dampness

↔ Smoothness

↑Softness

↔ Comfort

↔ RPE

–

Corbett et al. [19]

6

Trained

Not specified

Males

Clothing ensembles

CTR (shorts, synthetic fibre)

EXP1 (shorts and short sleeve jersey, synthetic blend)

EXP2 (shorts and short sleeve jersey, synthetic blend)

EXP3 (long sleeve base layer, cycling jacket, full length pants and skull cap, synthetic blend)

↔ Tcore

↑Tskin

↑Tbody

↑SL

↑SR

↑HR

↔ VO2

↔ SBF

↑Thermal sensation

↓Thermal comfort ↑RPE

↔ TT

(10 km)

Davis et al. [20]

8

Trained

Not specified

Males

Short sleeve t-shirt

CTR (natural fibre)

EXP1 (synthetic fibre)

EXP2 (natural fibre blend)

↔ Tcore

↔ Tskin

↔ Tbody

↓Tmicro

↔ SL

↔ PSI

↔ HR

↔ Thermal sensation

↔ Skin wetness

↔ Clothing comfort

↔ RPE

-

De Sousa et al. [14]

10

Recreationally active

Not specified

Males

Short sleeve t-shirt

CTR (natural fibre)

EXP (synthetic fibre)

↓Tcore

↔ Tskin

↔ SL

↔ SR

↔ HR

↔ Thermal sensation

↔ Sweating sensation

↔ RPE

–

Filingeri et al. [60]

9

Recreationally active

Not specified

Males

Short sleeve t-shirt

CTR (synthetic fibre)

EXP1 (shirt dampened and worn during last 15 min of trial)

EXP2 (shirt dampened and worn for 20 min pre-exercise and then during exercise)

↔ Tcore

↓Tskin

↓SL

↓HR

↓Thermal sensation

↑Thermal comfort

↓Wetness sensation

↓RPE

–

Gavin et al. [28]

8

Trained

Acclimated

Males

Clothing ensembles

CTR (short sleeve t-shirt and shorts, natural fibre)

EXP1 (racing swimsuit, synthetic fibre)

EXP2 (short sleeve t-shirt and shorts, synthetic fibre)

↔ Tcore

↔ Tskin

↔ Tbody

↔ SL

↔ SE

↔ HR

↔ VO2

↔ VT

↔ Thermal sensation

↔ Thermal comfort

–

Gonzales et al. [49]

10

Trained

Not acclimated

Males

Short sleeve jersey

CTR (synthetic fibre, small knit)

EXP1 (synthetic fibre, medium knit)

EXP2 (synthetic fibre, large knit)

↓Tskin

↔ HR

↓Thermal sensation

↔ RPE

–

Ha et al. [43]

8

Recreationally active

Not specified

Females

Long sleeve shirt and full-length pants

CTR (synthetic fibre, low absorption, low air permeability)

EXP1 (synthetic fibre, low absorption, high air permeability)

EXP2 (natural fibre, high absorption, high air permeability)

↔ Tcore

↑Tskin

↑Tbody

↔ SR

↔ SL

↑HS

↑Tmicro

↓RHmicro

↔ HR

↔ Thermal sensation

↔ Clothing comfort

↔ Sweating sensation

↔ Humidity sensation

↔ Skin wetness

–

Ha et al. [36]

5

Recreationally active

Not specified

Females

Short sleeve t-shirt, long—sleeved working dress and full-length pants

CTR (natural fibre)

EXP (synthetic fibre)

↑Tcore

↔ Tskin

↑Tbody

↔ SR

↔ SL

↔ HS

↔ Tmicro

↔ RHmicro

↑HR

↔ Thermal sensation

↔ Clothing comfort

↔ Humidity sensation

–

Herten et al. [51]

11

Trained

Not specified

Males

Shirt

CTR (natural fibre)

EXP (synthetic blend)

↔ Tcore

↑SL

↔ Tmicro

↔ RHmicro

↔ HR

↔ Thermal comfort

↔ Heat sensation

↔ Wetness sensation

↔ Weight

–

Kaplan et al. [21]

5

Trained

Not specified

Males

Long sleeve t-shirt

CTR (natural fibre)

EXP1 (synthetic fibre)

EXP2 (synthetic fibre)

EXP3 (synthetic/natural blend)

EXP4 (modified synthetic fibre)

↔ Tskin

↔ Tmicro

↓RHmicro

↔ HR

↓Thermal comfort

↓Skin wetness

–

Kwon et al. [30]

7

Recreationally active

Not specified

Females

Long sleeve t-shirt and full-length pants

CTR (natural fibre)

EXP1 (natural blend)

EXP2 (synthetic fibre)

↓Tcore

↑Tskin

↑Tbody

↑SL

↔ HS

↓Tmicro

↑RHmicro

↑HR

↔ Thermal sensation

↔ Clothing comfort

↔ Sweating sensation

↔ Skin wetness

↔ Humidity sensation

–

Laing et al. [16]

10

Trained

Acclimated

Males

Long sleeve upper body garment

CTR (synthetic fibre)

EXP1 (synthetic/natural blend)

EXP2 (natural fibre)

↓Tcore

↔ Tskin

↔ SL

↑RHmicro

↔ HR

↔ Thermal sensation

↔ Thermal comfort

↔ Wetness sensation

↔ RPE

–

Leoz-Abaurrea et al. [33]

16

Recreationally active

Not specified

Males and females

Short sleeve upper body garment

CTR (natural fibre)

EXP (synthetic blend)

↔ Tcore

↔ Tskin

↔ Tbody

↔ SR

↔ HS

↔ HR

↔ VO2

↔ Thermal sensation

↔ Clothing wetness

↔ RPE

-

Leoz-Abaurrea et al. [32]

12

Recreationally active

Not acclimated

Males

Short sleeve upper body garment

CTR (natural fibre)

EXP (synthetic blend)

↔ Tcore

↔ Tskin

↔ Tbody

↔ SR

↔ SL

↔ HR

↔ VO2

↔ Thermal sensation

↔ Sweating sensation

↑Clothing wetness

↔ RPE

–

Leoz-Abaurrea et al. [34]

20

Recreationally active

Not specified

Males and females

Short sleeve upper body garment

CTR (natural fibre)

EXP (synthetic blend)

↑Tcore

↔ SR

↔ SL

↑HR

↔ VO2

↔ AP

↑Thermal sensation

↔ Sweating sensation

↔ Clothing wetness

↔ RPE

–

Lin et al. [63]

10

Recreationally active

Not specified

Females

Sports Bra

CTR (synthetic and natural blend)

EXP (synthetic and natural blend)

↔ Tcore

↓Tskin

↔ SL

↔ HR

↔ Wetness

↔ Coldness

↔ Breathability

↔ Itchiness

↔ Softness

↔ Comfort

–

MacRae et al. [46]

12

Recreationally active

Not specified

Males

Full body garment

CTR (shorts)

EXP1 (synthetic blend—oversized)

EXP2 (synthetic blend—correct fit)

↔ Tcore

↑Tskin

↔ SR

↔ HR

↔ Q

↑Thermal sensation

↓Thermal comfort

↔ Skin wetness

↔ RPE

↔ TT /MPO

(6 km)

McFarlin et al. [22]

14

Trained

Not specified

Males and females

t-shirt

CTR (synthetic fibre)

EXP (Modified synthetic fibre)

↓Tskin

–

↑Thermal comfort

↓RPE

↑TTE

Raccuglia et al. [56]

8

Recreationally active

Not specified

Males

Short sleeve t-shirt

CTR (synthetic fibre—high contact)

EXP1 (synthetic fibre—medium contact)

EXP2 (synthetic fibre—low contact)

↔ Tcore↔ SL

↔ HR

↔ Thermal sensation

↓Comfort

↔ Skin wetness

↑Stickiness

–

Roberts et al. [26]

7

Recreationally active

Not specified

Males

t-shirt

CTR (bare chested)

EXP1 (synthetic fibre)

EXP2 (synthetic blend)

EXP3 (natural fibre)

↑Tcore

↑Tskin

↑SE

–

↑Thermal sensation

↓Thermal comfort

↔ RPE

–

Scholler et al. [18]

10

Trained

Not specified

Males

Full body racing suits

EXP1 (synthetic blend, knit)

EXP2 (synthetic blend, woven)

EXP3-4 (synthetic blend, knit)

EXP5-6 (synthetic blend, woven)

↔ Tcore

↔ Tskin

↔ HR

↑Thermal sensation (EXP1 vs EXP5)

↔ RPE

↔ PO

(20 min at RPE 4/10)

Sperlich et al. [29]

8

Trained

Not specified

Males

t-shirt

CTR (natural fibre)

EXP1 (synthetic fibre, 4 channel)

EXP2 (synthetic fibre, 6 channel)

EXP3 (synthetic fibre, 8 channel)

↔ Tcore

↔ Tskin

↔ Tbody

↔ SL

↓RHmicro

↔ HR

↔ VO2

↔ VT

↔ BL

↔ Thermal sensation

↔ Sweating sensation

↔ Clothing wetness

↔ RPE

↔ TTE

Tsuji et al. [61]

10

Recreationally active

Not specified

Males

Long sleeve t-shirt and shirts

CTR (shorts—synthetic fibre)

EXP (long sleeve t-shirt—synthetic blend, shorts—synthetic fibre)

↔ Tcore

↓Tskin

↓Tbody

↑SL

↔ HS

↑HR

↔ SBF

↑Thermal sensation

↑RPE

–

Ueda et al. [15]

3

Recreationally active

Not specified

Males

Long sleeve t-shirts

CTR (natural fibre, plain knit)

EXP1 (natural fibre, stockinet)

EXP2 (natural fibre, plain knit)

EXP3 (natural fibre, jacquard knit)

EXP4 (natural fibre, mesh knit)

↔ Tcore

↔ Tskin

↔ SR

↔ Tmicro

↔ RHmicro

-

↑Comfort

–

Varadaraju et al. [50]

10

Recreationally active

Not specified

Males

Short sleeve t-shirt (synthetic fibre)

CTR (tricot knit)

EXP1-3 (open knit, modified)

↓Tskin

↓RHmicro

↓HR

↑Comfort

↓Skin temperature

↓Skin moisture

–

Wang et al. [77]

8

Recreationally active

Not specified

Males

Upper body garment

CTR (natural fibre)

EXP1 (body mapping sportswear)

EXP2 (EXP1 modified)

↓Tcore

↓Tskin

↓Tbody

↔ SL

↔ SE

↓HR

↔ VO2

↓Thermal sensation

↓Skin humidity

↑Comfort sensation

↔ RPE

–

Wingo et al. [81]

9

Recreationally active

Not specified

Males

Long sleeve t-shirt

CTR (bare chested)

EXP1 (synthetic fibre)

EXP2 (natural fibre)

↔ Tcore

↑Tskin

↑SR

↔ SL

↔ HR

↑Thermal sensation

↔ RPE

–

Zhang et al. [45]

8

Recreationally active

Not specified

Males

9 Short sleeve t-shirts (natural fibres, differed in neck and hem opening size)

↔ Tcore

↔ Tskin

↔ Tmicro

↔ RHmicro

↔ SL

↔ HS

↔ SE

↔ HR

↔ Thermal sensation

↑Thermal comfort (loose fit vs tight fit)

↔ Skin wetness

–

  1. PRFM performance, CTR control, EXP experimental, Tcore core temperature, Tskin skin temperature, Tbody body temperature, SR sweat rate, SL sweat loss, SE sweat evaporated, HS heat storage, Tmicro microclimate temperature, RHmicro microclimate relative humidity, PSI physiological strain index, HR heart rate, VO2 oxygen consumption, VT ventilation, SBF skin blood flow, BL blood lactate, AP arterial pressure, Q cardiac output, TTE time to exhaustion, TT time trial, PO power output, MPO mean power output, − not assessed, ↑ significantly higher than control, ↓ significantly lower than control, ↔ no significant difference