t-and-f: shirts or skins? - what's best for training in hot weather?

[cah1]

Does anyone have any professional opinion or know of any research studies on
the following:  what is cooler in hot weather - running without a shirt
(bare skin) or running with a coolmax type shirt on?  Let's assume a hot and
humid climate, like the southeast not the southwest.  Coolmax wicks, but any
fabric also blocks the wind and airflow that is generated by running.  Is
the wicking worth the blocked airflow of wearing a shirt?  Experience would
suggest that no shirt is cooler than shirt even if the shirt is made of
coolmax type fabric, but I have heard some cite evidence to the contrary.
Anybody from any elite programs out there have insights on how you train?
Thanks, [EMAIL PROTECTED]

Re: t-and-f: shirts or skins? - what's best for training in hot weather?

[JimRTimes]

In a message dated 5/4/01 1:23:11 PM, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:

any

fabric also blocks the wind and airflow that is generated by running. 

Having test-worn and reviewed the Stand Off singlet Nike developed for 
Sydney, I would say it may be one piece of clothing that is as cool as no 
shirt, if not cooler. It has thousands of tiny holes, like a football jersey, 
that are designed to channel the airflow to your skin, and the inside has 
raised bumps or nodes that hold the majority of the fabric off your skin 
(hence the name). It's made from recycled soda bottles (same as PolarFleece) 
so it doesn't absorb any water.

Still, I wore it during a muggy August race (temp and humidity both in the 
upper 80s) and shucked it around 3 miles. So it's not perfect, but I think if 
the sun was out and there was any air movement at all it would be better than 
bare.

Jim Gerweck
Running Times