Self-Ventilating Workout Suit: Has Technology Gone Overboard?
With so many gizmos and gadgets out there today, it’s only normal for researchers to come out with something new for the fitness community. With the launch of things like Nike Dry Fit and Under Armour Cold and Heat Gear, we’ve seen some pretty cool advances in technology. Yet, it appears that wasn’t good enough. A group of researchers at MIT have created a self-ventilating workout suit that supposedly helps keep the wearer cool and dry. What brand could possibly be interested in such futuristic wearable technology as a workout suit?
New Balance. You might be as surprised as I am in hearing their name. When I think of apparel with breathability, I think of Nike and Under Armour before anyone else. The fact that New Balance is stepping up their game is actually exciting. Especially since out of the top five fitness apparel brands, they are pretty much falling behind the likes of the brands already mentioned as well as Adidas and Reebok. Could the technology catapult them ahead of others in the market? I don’t believe so, but it’s a valiant effort put forth by New Balance. I was never really into the apparel side of their brand, yet I owned a few pairs of their shoes—which I thought were great. Dumping money into this research could yield amazing results (sales) or turn into a “cash and burn” moment of epic failure.
The bionic man
I’m not going to lie, while this workout suit might appeal to some, I think it’s utterly ridiculous. It looks like something a superhero would wear in an action movie or comic book. It’s unclear how much they will run for (cost) when finally released, but if you ask me, they couldn’t pay me to wear it. I could potentially see professional athletes using this technology but for the normal gym-goer, it seems like a complete waste of money. The only other potential use I could see for it would be if you live in an extremely hot climate, and you work outside part or most of the day and would need the ability to lower your body temperature and keep cool.
Each suit has latex flaps that cover your back which are lined with live microbial cells. No, that’s not a typo, I really said “live microbial cells.” Pretty weird, right? These flaps are placed at specific locations based on where the researchers noted the body produces the most heat and sweat. Also based on the specific area of the back that shows the most heat and sweat, the flaps can be anywhere from the size of a finger to as small as a fingernail. One researched said, “People may think heat and sweat are the same, but in fact, some areas like the lower spine produce lots of sweat but not much heat. We redesigned the garment using a fusion of heat and sweat maps to, for example, make flaps bigger where the body generates more heat.”
The tiny microbial cells in the shirt are basically temperature and sweat sensors that when the wearer starts to sweat, they force the flaps open in an effort to dry the wearer and cool him or her down. Once the wearer has cooled down and has stopped sweating, the microbial cells then allow the flaps to move closed. So, you literally have live microbial cells in your clothing that expand and shrink based on your body temperature and perspiration.
Some of you might be asking about any possible or potential health risks or concerns with having live cells on your skin thanks to this new technology. The researchers mentioned that the microbial cells themselves are safe to touch and even consume—but they clearly aren’t recommending that you try to eat your shirt or lick it as they would not provide any value to your health.
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