Loughborough University works with adidas to help develop sports tops for children that keep them cool during exercise

LEICESTERSHIRE, 16-Mar-2016 — /EuropaWire/ — Loughborough researchers have been working with leading sports brand adidas to help develop sports tops specifically for children that help keep them cool during exercise.

Led by Professor George Havenith from the University’s Environmental Ergonomics Research Centre, the Loughborough team looked at the body heat management of children aged 10 and under.

They found that while teens and adults tend to keep their skin cool by evaporating sweat, this is less developed in children under the age of ten. Younger children’s skin is more reliant on dry heat loss all over their body, leading to a hotter skin. With a reduced sweat response, they require full body ventilation to stay cool and avoid overheating during a workout.

Using this information adidas has developed a range of ‘climacool’ training tops aimed solely at children under 10 which offer full air flow during exercise.

Speaking about the research Professor Havenith said: “In the study 16 boys and girls in each age group – around 8 and 13 years old – performed intermittent runs on a treadmill. At intervals their body and skin temperatures were measured, the latter with high spec infra-red cameras.

“Using the skin temperatures we created a series of body maps. Upon analysing these we found the younger children showed a higher skin temperature which related to lower sweat rates, indicating that their sweat system may not yet be as well developed as in the older children. Hence the younger kids are more reliant on ‘dry’ heat loss.”

Dr Maarten Hupperets, Director Future Apparel at adidas, said: “In line with the findings of our study we have developed a new range of training tees specifically for kids under 10, featuring the revolutionary cooling technology of clima. The innovative fabric within the climacool products acts like a mesh and delivers increased breathability, thus creating a cooling effect on the body areas it covers.”

Notes for editors

The Loughborough research was carried out by the Environmental Ergonomics Research Centre based in the Design School, in cooperation with the former Institute of Youth Sport.

About adidas
adidas is a global designer, developer and marketer of athletic footwear, apparel and accessories with the mission to be the leading sports brand in the world. Brand adidas is part of the adidas Group, a corporation that includes brands such as Reebok and TaylorMade.

Loughborough University is equipped with a live in-house broadcast unit via the Globelynx network. To arrange an interview with one of our experts  please contact the press office on 01509 223491. Bookings can be made online via www.globelynx.com

Loughborough is one of the country’s leading universities, with an international reputation for research that matters, excellence in teaching, strong links with industry, and unrivalled achievement in sport and its underpinning academic disciplines.

It has been awarded five stars in the independent QS Stars university rating scheme, putting it among the best universities in the world, and was named University of the Year in the What Uni Student Choice Awards 2015. Loughborough is consistently ranked in the top twenty of UK universities in the Times Higher Education’s ‘table of tables’ and is in the top 10 in England for research intensity. It was 2nd in the 2015 THE Student Experience Survey and was named Sports University of the Year 2013-14 by The Times and Sunday Times. In recognition of its contribution to the sector, Loughborough has been awarded seven Queen’s Anniversary Prizes.

In September 2015 the University opened an additional academic campus in London’s new innovation quarter. Loughborough University London, based on the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, offers postgraduate and executive-level education, as well as research and enterprise opportunities.

SOURCE: Loughborough University

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Loughborough University works with adidas to help develop sports tops for children that keep them cool during exercise