The effects of phase control materials on hand skin temperature within gloves of soccer goalkeepers

In soccer, goalkeepers routinely wear gloves that may restrict heat loss fr om the hands and cause thermal discomfort. In order to alleviate this probl em phase control materials (PCMs) have been incorporated into gloves to red uce heat load inside the glove, thereby maintaining a comfortable temperatu re. The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy of these materials dur ing a simulation of goalkeeping activities. Seven subjects carried out two sessions of goalkeeper-specific exercise on a non-motorized treadmill, one session with a PCM glove and one session with a normal foam material glove (NFM). All sites of skin temperature measurement, except mean whole-body sk in temperature, showed uniformly that the PCM glove caused a greater increa se in skin temperature of the hand compared to the NFM glove. These results suggest that this particular specification of PCM promotes heat gain rathe r than heat loss and is therefore inappropriate to enhance thermal comfort in this setting.