This study aimed to investigate the effects of two functional sport shirts with different fiber compositions (polyester: 100% polyester vs polyester-lyocell combination: 67%-33%) on thermoregulation and wearing comfort during treadmill walking at an average intensity under moderate environmental conditions. It was hypothesized that the hydrophilic lyocell fibers would benefit sweat evaporation and, thus, provide a superior cooling effect. Using a repeated-measures study design, core, surface and between skin-and-shirt temperatures were measured in 11 men while wearing either the polyester or polyester-lyocell shirt. Additionally, sweat loss, heart rate and subjective perception of comfort were determined. In spite of significantly greater sweat production, relative humidity was lower with the polyester-lyocell shirt. In the later phases of the walking intervention, the temperatures were consistently higher with polyester-lyocell, although between-shirt differences failed to reach significance. These results suggest that greater water retention limits the thermoregulatory efficiency of cellulosic fibers when excessive sweat production occurs.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.