Physiological responses and psychological sensations in wearer trials with knitted sportswear

Abstract

Preferences in next-to-skin sportswear (T-shirts) made from eight different types of fibre were studied by exposing seven men and one woman to periods of exercise (30min) and rest in two environmental conditions: hot (H: 32^°C; relative humidity 45%) and cold (C: 14^°C; relative humidity 32%). Air velocity was 0·25 m/s.

At regular intervals during exercise, measurements were made of tympanic membrane (core) and skin temperatures, heart rate and energy expenditure. Body sweat loss and sweat absorption of the garments were also recorded. Every 10 min, psychological responses to 19 sensation descriptors (after Hollies et al. 1979) were noted on a scale from 1 (no sensation) to 5 (totally). The descriptors were subsequently placed in three groups termed thermal-wet, tactile and tactile-fit. Subjective preferences between the two garments tested in each trial were recorded after handling at the beginning of the trial, and again after wear at the end of the experiment. Skin and tympanic temperatures and heart rate were significantly higher in H than in C, but energy expenditure was lower in H. When T-shirts were compared, differences were found only in sweat absorption and skin temperature. Changes in the sensations were variable, but in general the thermal-wet sensations increased with exercise.

The preference votes for the T-shirts determined by handling were different from the votes determined by wearing, but the votes from H and C were similar. In both H and C conditions, the votes after wearing were correlated inversely with the tactile sensations and some of the tactile-fit sensations; the votes by handling were mainly correlated with some tactile-fit sensations. Thermal-wet sensations in H were highly correlated with skin temperature, tympanic temperature and heart rate; in C they were mainly correlated with heart rate. Tactile sensations were correlated only with skin temperature in C.

Keywords:

• Clothing
• Comfort
• Microclimate
• Physiology
• Psychological tests
• Comparative psychology