Swim shirts optimization for better thermal comfort

Abstract

Thermoregulation is essential for balancing body heat from metabolism and the environment, especially in sportswear like swim shirts. The aim of the research is to test how well conventional swim shirts provide thermophysiological comfort and how the thermophysiological comfort of swim shirts could be improved by optimizing the material. Following the aim of the research the heat resistance of the materials was measured using the Sweating Guarded Hotplate in laboratory conditions. Then, the surface temperature of the volunteers wearing swim shirts was measured using a FLIR thermal camera, in real conditions, at the indoor pool. A heat distribution model for swim shirts was developed. Experiment analyzed temperature changes of 6 participants, wearing 3 swim shirts of similar raw material composition (PA+EL) but different fabric mass, in 6 body zones on the front side and 6 body zones on the back side. After acclimatization at an ambient temperature of 30°C, participants swam for 10 minutes in 27°C pool water. Imaging showed temperature drops across all body zones, ranging between 1.1°C and 3.2°C. Regardless of the differences in the temperature drop due to the different materials of swim shirts and variations in the body size and age of the participants, all three models of heat distribution in swim shirts show the same characteristics. Heat loss is higher on the back, particularly in the shoulder blade area, then on the back around the waist, with nearly equal average temperature drops in the waist area at the front, followed by the chest area. The smallest temperature drops, both at the front and back, occurred in the abdominal and lower back areas. Therefore, to better maintain optimal thermoregulation, swim shirts should use materials of varying masses to correspond to the zones of greater or lesser heat loss. This can easily be achieved today by using seamless knitting techniques on flat knitting machines, circular knitting machines, or warp knitting machines.

Keywords: Swim Shirts, Materials Optimization, Thermoregulation, Comfort

DOI: 10.54941/ahfe1006862