A recent study published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research found no improvement in running time for a10k time trial(TT) for those who wore a cooling vest during a 30-minute warm-up. But, hold your horses, mon. Previous studies have shown that the use of a cooling vest during warm-up doeshelp improve race performance. (This is because the rise in body core temperature impairs performance in several ways.)
More study is needed, but it appears that runners in races of between 4 and 6km will benefit from use of a cooling vest during the pre-race warm-up. The vests pictured above are made by StaCool Industries,Inc. of Brooksville,FL (shameless local company plug.) They're not cheap- around $200.
But you might want to wait before you buy one. The current study states: "future research should determine the degree of cooling necessary to enhance performance of different durations and environmental conditions." Furthermore, more Study is needed to determine when and for how long a cooling vest should be worn in order for a runner to reap optimal benefit.
"Cold? I'm freezing my royal Rastafarian nay-nays off" Sanka Coffiefrom Cool Runnings, 1993
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