Thermal, Cardiovascular, Performance, & Anthropomorphic Evaluation of the American Football Uniform

Military, 1 occupational, 2 and athletic uniforms increase the risk of exertional heat exhaustion and heatstroke. 3 Specifically, the protective equipment and clothing worn during an American Football (AF) contest establishes a microclimate above the skin surface that reduces heat dissipation to the environment via radiation, convection and evaporation. 4 The helmet and pads, for example, cover approximately 50 per cent of the skin surface area whereas other clothing covers an additional 20 per cent. Although 20 exertional heatstroke deaths occurred among high school and collegiate athletes in the United States between 2000 – 2007, 5 few investigations have evaluated the AF uniform systematically in exercising humans. This, coupled with improvements of uniform synthetic materials, leaves us knowing little about the physiological and performance effects of wearing today’s uniform. 6,7 Indeed, only two laboratory studies 6,8 provide information about this matter. But, because exercise intensity was not controlled in these studies, the comparison of different uniforms is difficult. Therefore, the purpose of the present investigation was to evaluate the differential effects of two uniform configurations (versus control clothing) on physiological responses and exercise performance in a hot environment.