A precise dosage of water-repellent materials, alongside spacious weaving and utilization of the power of the capillaries, have upgraded the sporting experience for many. The science behind the "drifit"
By: Daniel Haikelson, Davidson Institute for Science Education website
Many sports are identified with certain items of clothing: boxers can be recognized by their gloves, swimmers by their swimsuits and tight hats, and those who wear clogs are probably footballers. In recent years, athletic running has been increasingly associated with shirts and pants made of synthetic fabrics called sweat-wicking clothing, or Dri-FIT.
Dri-FIT is A trade name coined by Nike In the 90s, clothes made of moisture-wicking fabric designed to make it easier for athletes and allow their clothes to remain fairly dry even during strenuous physical activity. This need arises from the way we, humans, cool our body temperature: when we exercise, our body temperature rises, and in response our sweat glands are activated and moisturize our skin. When the sweat evaporates, the evaporation process emits some of the heat we have accumulated into the air - and lowers the temperature of our skin. But if the sweat cannot evaporate effectively - for example because it has been absorbed by the fabric of our shirt - we stay wet and continue to drip sweat.
The right fabric in the right place
When choosing fabric for sportswear, two key characteristics must be taken into account: the chemical composition of the fabric fibers and the way they are woven. The chemical composition affects how the fabric will attract or repel water. Fabrics made from natural materials, such as cotton or linen, are made from fibers of cellulose. Cellulose is a substance that is attracted to water (hydrophilic: "water-loving"), under the influence of some of the chemical groups of which it is composed - for example hydroxyl (OH). Because of this, these fabrics absorb a significant part of the sweat and make it difficult for it to evaporate.
The obvious solution is to sew sports clothes Water repellent fabrics (hydrophobic). But is this really the necessary step? If you've worn rubber boots in the winter or worn a nylon jacket in the rain, you've probably noticed that when you use water-repellent materials, the sweat gets trapped between the body and the clothes and doesn't evaporate at all. Therefore we would like to use fabrics that are more hydrophobic than cotton, but not too hydrophobic.
The way the fabric is woven also plays an important role in making sweat wicking clothes. Most fabrics are made of fibers, which form threads, which are woven or knitted into a continuous fabric. In most fabrics, the weave is very dense and does not leave enough space for sweat to pass out and evaporate into the air. But when the fabric is woven less tightly, sweat can pass through the fabric through a process the capillaries. In this process, the water moves from the fibers outward, against the forces acting on them, such as gravity, similar to the movement of the melted wax upwards the fuse of a lit candle. If we had used a completely hydrophobic fabric, the capillary effect would have been less effective.
The sweat-wicking fabrics, including the original Dryfit, use these two properties: they are made of synthetic fibers, mainly polyester, and are woven in a way that allows water to pass through them. In addition, since the fabrics are synthetic, their chemical properties are easier to handle. Many wicking fabrics are coated on the inside with a thin layer of water-repellent materials, and a similar layer of water-attracting materials on the outside. Others incorporate water-absorbing fibers. This combination helps move the moisture from the skin to the outer surface of the fabric, where it is easier for it to evaporate.
The improvement of evaporation improves the running experience, can prevent chafing, enhance the feeling of cooling. No wonder more and more people choose to wear sweat wicking clothes when they do sports. These fabrics often offer other properties that benefit athletes, such as blocking harmful ultraviolet (UV) radiation, or more flexible and durable fabrics. The synthetic fibers also generally retain their shape and other properties better than cotton, even after repeated washings.
To her and a thorn in her
Sweat evaporation technology is not without its drawbacks. The water-repellent properties of the fibers cause them to absorb other hydrophobic substances, such as oils and fatty organic molecules that our bodies secrete. Therefore, a significant part of the clothes made of synthetic fabric are washed less well than fabrics made of natural fibers. In addition, there are growing concerns about the negative impact of these synthetic materials on the environment, because, unlike natural fibers, they do not decompose, and may even emit microplastic particles into the environment during use or after the garment ends up in the trash and is not treated. It is also difficult to recycle most of these fabrics, and new technologies must be developed to separate the fabrics and recycle them.
From the early 90s to today, sweat wicking fabric technology has revolutionized the way athletes wear, providing them with increased comfort that has helped them improve their performance to a level once thought unimaginable. The sportswear industry currently generates tens to hundreds of billions of dollars a year, and a large portion of that is dedicated to sweat-wicking clothing.
To the article on the Davidson Institute website
To the Davidson Institute for Science Education website
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