WHAT WE WEAR TO TRAIN IN THE HEAT

High temperatures place a significant extra strain on the body, making training much harder. My mandate was to build training essentials that handle the hottest sessions and the most intensive workouts. If we are going to train and if we must cover our waist and torso, what is the most efficient way to do this. When I am feeling uncomfortable, I want something immaculately comfortable to wear. 

The second heatwave so far this summer has brought us record temperatures. The emphasis isn't so much on the record itself, as records are there to be broken, but that hot temperatures are likely a mainstay of Northern Hemisphere summers to come. If we want to continue to move, which we do, then we'd better think about what we're wearing. 

Physiologically-speaking, our heart rate quickens by 5-15 beats per minute when compared with the same pace in cooler conditions. The heart has to work harder to send blood to the skin, to maximise cooling, leaving less available blood for working muscles. Our core temperature rises faster as we struggle to dissipate heat, causing our power output to drop. Let's face it, coordination and concentration are both impaired in the heat. Systemic failures in most life forms start to occur above 41 degrees. 

Indoors or out, we want training gear to be comfortable on the skin, with an easy drape on the body, giving us athletic freedom. Weight itself is a key consideration and lightness is mandatory for feeling at ease in the heat. Fabric structure facilitates airflow and can improve the strength-to-weight ratio, allowing materials to maintain their shape over time. And finally a material's ability to draw sweat away from the skin and dry-fast is core to the weight principle, allowing us to endure the hard yards.



Found at either the Club by Bamford and the Six Senses' hotel in the historic Whiteley's building, are intentional spaces, for intelligent movement, in elevated environments, where our considered sportswear thrives.