Effect of Exercise Garment Fabric and Environment on Cutaneous Conditions of Human Subjects

The role of three experimental knitfabrics and two environmental conditions on human subjects' stratum corneum water content, rate of water evaporation from their skin surface, rate of capillary blood flow, and skin temperature are reported Exercise garments constructed from 1. 5 denier polyester, 3.5 denierpolyester, or 100 % combed cottonfabrics were worn by each subject while exercising and resting in a hot, humid and a hot, dry environment. The noninvasive cutaneous measurements were taken on the subjects' upper back using an Evaporimeter, a laser Doppler velocimetry instrument, a microwave probe, and a thermistor. Kawabata instrumentation was used to determine shear, bending, tensile, and compression, as well as surface features, of the three knit fabrics. Heat and moisture transfer properties of the fabrics were analyzed over a wide range of environmental conditions using the Kawabata Thermolabo.

Rate of skin evaporative water loss was slower in the higher humidity environment. More water accumulated in the subjects' stratum corneum when they exercised in the humid environment. Capillary bloodflow was not significantly influenced by environment. Skin temperatures statistically differed in the two environments, but differences were negligible. In selecting loose fitting garments to be worn in hot environments, greater consideration should be given to openness of the fabric structure than to the fiber content. When garments fit the body snugly, fiber content may be of more critical importance in maintaining comfort.