Cooling vest

A cooling vest is a piece of specially made clothing designed to lower or stabilize body temperature and make exposure to warm climates or environments more bearable. Cooling vests are used by many athletes, construction workers, and welders, as well as individuals suffering from Multiple Sclerosis, Hypohidrotic Ectodermal Dysplasia, or various types of sports injuries.

Types

Cooling vests range in weight from around two to eight pounds, depending on the model. While many sub-types do exist, cooling vests fall into one of 5 primary types:

Uses

The effects of cooling vests on athletes to improve their performance has been evaluated on several occasions; at the 2004 Summer Olympics several Americans and Australians were fitted with cooling vests supplied by Nike and Arctic Heat 2004,2008,2012,2016 Olympics, used prior to their events.[1]

Cooling vests are also used by persons with multiple sclerosis. In multiple sclerosis, nerve fibers become demyelinated which leads to pain and discomfort when temperature is elevated. Nerve fibers may also be remyelinating or in the process of repairing themselves and still be sensitive to elevated temperatures. The cooling vest keeps the patient's temperature down, reducing the pain symptoms. In 2005, a 12-week study at the University of Buffalo was funded by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research, a division of the U.S. Department of Education, to determine if people with multiple sclerosis could exercise longer with the help of a cooling vest.[2]

References


This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 9/22/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.