Thermoregulatory Capacity of Evaporative Fabric Worn Under Shin Guards by Melissa Jo LaMere Submitted In Partial Fulfillment of The Requirements for the Master of Science Degree Department of Exercise Science and Sport Studies STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK COLLEGE at CORTLAND Approved: __________________ ___________________________ Date Philip J. Buckenmeyer, Ph.D. Thesis Advisor __________________ __________________________ Date Joy Hendrick, Ph.D. Committee Member __________________ __________________________ Date Jeff Bauer, Ph.D. Committee Member __________________ __________________________ Date Yvonne Murnane Director, Graduate Studies ii Abstract The purpose of this experimental study was to determine the thermoregulatory capacity and thermal comfort of evaporative fabric during exercise. Six female college- aged subjects exercised at 70% of their VO2 max for 15 minutes while wearing shin guards on both shins, but one shin was covered by evaporative fabric under the shin guard. The results showed that the evaporative fabric produced a greater shin temperature and mass of non-evaporated sweat than the shin dressed in only a shin guard. However, when asked to rate each shin condition subjectively, the evaporative fabric was perceived to be cooler and dryer. It was concluded that wearing evaporative fabric under shin guards does not improve thermoregulation, despite a perception of enhanced thermal comfort. iv Preface and Acknowledgements I would like to thank several people, without whom this project could not have been completed. My thesis committee; Dr. Phil Buckenmeyer, chair, Dr. Joy Hendrick, and Dr. Jeff Bauer for all of their help and support throughout this process. My research assistants; Stephanie Bailey and Lissa Delaney, for spending countless hours in the lab assisting with the data collection, and Jacki Hutchins for assisting with the recruitment of subjects. Women’s soccer coaches; Heidi Woodcock and Maryam Ek, for their full cooperation in allowing players to participate in this study. My subjects; members of the soccer teams, for volunteering to spend their free time in the laboratory, so I could collect data. I am very appreciative of everyone’s willingness to contribute their expertise, time, and in the case of the subjects, their sweat! v TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter Page I. INTRODUCTION.....................................................................................1 Problem Statement.....................................................................................2 Hypotheses.................................................................................................2 Operational Definitions..............................................................................2 Assumptions...............................................................................................4 Limitations.................................................................................................4 Delimitations..............................................................................................5 Significance of the Study...........................................................................6 II. LITERATURE REVIEW..........................................................................8 Thermoregulation.......................................................................................8 Thermoregulation of Clothing and Protective Equipment.........................9 Fabric Design.............................................................................................10 Fabric Structure..........................................................................................11 Thermal Comfort of Clothing....................................................................11 Layering of Clothing..................................................................................12 Assessment.................................................................................................13 VO2 max.........................................................................................13 Subjective responses......................................................................13 Summary....................................................................................................13 III. METHODS................................................................................................15 Research Assistants....................................................................................15 Subjects......................................................................................................15 Garment Description..................................................................................16 Shin guards and clothing................................................................16 Evaporative fabric..........................................................................16 Instruments.................................................................................................17 Measurements............................................................................................18 Procedures..................................................................................................18 Day one testing..............................................................................19 Day two testing..............................................................................19 Calculations................................................................................................20 Statistical Analysis.....................................................................................21 IV. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION………………………………….……...22 Results........................................................................................................22 Subject characteristics....................................................................22 vi Ambient conditions of the laboratory............................................22 Shin temperature............................................................................22 Mass of non-evaporated sweat.......................................................24 Subjective ratings of thermal comfort............................................25 Core temperature............................................................................29 Mass of water loss..........................................................................30 Discussion..................................................................................................31 Shin temperature............................................................................31 Mass of non-evaporated sweat.......................................................32 Subjective ratings of thermal comfort............................................33 Core temperature............................................................................33 Mass of water loss..........................................................................34 Summary....................................................................................................34 V. SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS………35 Summary....................................................................................................35 Conclusions................................................................................................36 Recommendations......................................................................................36 REFERENCES..........................................................................................38 APPENDICES...........................................................................................41 A – Informed Consent...............................................................................41 B – PAR-Q & YOU..................................................................................43 C – Health Questionnaire..........................................................................44 D – Institutional Review Board Approval................................................46 E – Dubois Surface Area Chart.................................................................47 F – Rating of Perceived Exertion (Borg Scale).........................................48 G – Subjective Perceptions of Thermal Comfort......................................49 H – Bruce Treadmill VO2 max Test Protocol...........................................50 I – Data Collection Day One.....................................................................51 J – Data Collection Day Two....................................................................52 K – Descriptive Statistics..........................................................................54 vii List of Tables Table Title Page 1 Physical and Physiological Characteristics of the Subjects...................................23 2 Descriptive Statistics..............................................................................................54 viii List of Figures Figure Title Page 1 Comparison of average shin temperature for both shin guard conditions……….24 2 Comparison of average shin guard and sock weight measured pre- exercise and post-exercise for both shin guard conditions....................................25 3 Mass of non-evaporated sweat following the exercise session..............................26 4 Subjective rating of overall thermal state of each shin guard regarding temperature...........................................................................................................27 5 Subjective rating