Japan develops new type of cooling vest for sports athletes

The researchers from Hiroshima University in Japan have developed a new type of cooling vest for sports athletes that may help them compete safely in sweltering summer conditions. The cooling vest is filled with ice packs and features a collar that can also cool the neck. The aim is to cool the athletes’ upper-body skin which can decrease heart rate and temperature of their neck and skin. The research is not just applicable to athletes but to people that exercise in hot conditions. The 2020 Tokyo Olympics will be held in the hot and muggy Japanese summer where the ambient temperature is expected to be above 33 degrees Celsius. Athletes have to worry about performing under pressure of the high-stakes competition and deal with a very hot and humid climate. To help combat this, the researchers collaborated with a Japanese sportswear company Mizuno to test a new type of cooling vest.