Recent studies show that training in the heat has a听similar听effect on the body as training at altitude.听But that doesn't make it pleasant听or, in some cases,听safe. Here are eight听products to help you keep your core temperature down and your performance up as you adapt to summer weather.
Mission听Instant Cooling Towels ($18)
are designed to absorb sweat and bring your temperature down after a workout. When soaked in water and rung out, the proprietary fabric cools to 30 degrees below the average body temperature鈥攖hink about it like draping a bag of ice around your shoulders.听
Medical Supplies and Equipment Company Hydrotherapy Tub ($5,255)
Ice-water immersion is the most effective treatment for heat-related illness in athletes, and it's a useful rehab technique, too. Medical Supplies and Equipment Company (MSEC) makes , similar to the kind you see in the locker room scenes of sports movies.听
Solumbra听Ultra Athlete Shirt ($99)
鈥婼olumbra makes a wide range of sun-protective clothing, including a full body suit used by many ultramarathoners to run the Badwater 135-mile race in Death Valley. The was constructed with huge vented panels, and the fabric is rated at 100+ UPF.听
Hammacher听Evaporative Cooling Cap ($29)
From the outside, the from HammacherSchlemmer looks like a dorky hiking lid. But the fabric and technology were developed by the military鈥檚 go-to source for cooling gear. The hat was designed to be submerged in water, which is absorbed into the inner liner and vaporizes slowly over a few hours, keeping your dome 20 degrees cooler than the air temp.听
Columbia Zero Rules Short Sleeve Shirt ($39)
Columbia created an entire line of proprietary fabric for the sole purpose of keeping athletes cool. The is made from the company鈥檚 proprietary Omni-Freeze fabric, which dips to a lower temperature when activated by sweat. This shirt is also rated to 30 UPF.听
Patagonia Nine Trail Hydration Vest ($79)
Hydration. Just about any water bottle will do, but if it鈥檚 really hot, you鈥檙e going to want more than a liter.听 was designed for long hauls with room for a two-liter bladder or multiple soft bottles.听
Eddie Bauer Quantum Shirt ($60)
The 听is marketed as “the world's only sweat-activated venting system.” That means听this shirt comes with built-in sweat vents鈥攍aser-cut in places where you're likely to get the hottest鈥攖hat open when they get wet.听
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