Is August. It’s summer. It’s hot and it’s the nationwide start time when preseason soccer practice begins. Players will expect to warm up and sweat as their coaches try to get them in shape. However, a combination of hot / humid weather, harsh conditioning exercises, and players not used to practicing in the heat can make August a deadly and dangerous month.
Despite all the warnings, the National Center for Catastrophic Sports Injury Research reports that 24 soccer players (19 high school, 3 college, and 2 professional) have died of heatstroke since 1995.
The main problem associated with exercising in hot weather is water loss through sweat. However, drinking water is simply not enough. In extremely hot weather, the body will sweat at a faster rate than the water can absorb into the system. So how can we reduce the amount of sweating while helping the body regulate its core body temperature?
The answer is the Arctic Heat Body Cooling Vest. A cool, lightweight vest that will not only help protect athletes from heat-related illnesses, but will also allow athletes to work harder for longer.
The Arctic Heat Cooling Vest was originally developed for soccer players in Australia and is now used by international teams in all other major soccer codes around the world. Rugby League, Rugby Union, Soccer and Australian Rules Football use the cooling vest to protect their athletes and improve their performance. It was also used at the Athens Olympics by all the major sporting countries, including many of the teams from the US The military in Iraq is even wearing the Arctic Heat cooling vests.
“The Arctic Heat Cooling Vest, designed for soccer, will legally enhance performance and also help protect an athlete’s health,” said Dr. John Surie, President of Arctic Heat USA.
The frosted cooling vest can be worn under game uniforms, can be used as a pre-cool device before conditioning exercises, and can be used as a recovery tool between or after sessions.
However, inquiries from local soccer teams have so far been limited. “There seems to be a different mentality in football that you have to run the players hard and make them sweat to toughen them up. We think it is better to cool down and stimulate the athletes. Most of the other sports codes in the world now agree with us. “said Dean Sainsbury of the Arctic Heat Company.
Arctic Heat has also developed a range of unique cooling blankets and caps that can be used to immediately treat players who have overheated. “Cooling caps can be used during a game to cool down the players. When they get to the bench, they can remove their helmets, put on the cooldown cap and cool down,” said Dr. Surie.
The lightweight Arctic Heat Cooling Vest uses a two-stage cooling process. Vests contain a gel-like substance that can be frozen or chilled. The Cooling Vests are made from Woolmark’s Sportwool, a special body-cooling fabric that incorporates vapor management technology, helping to wick moisture away from the skin, allowing the user to stay dry.
