Elite Sport as a Test Arena for Wearable Technology 

In elite sport, where the difference between success and failure can be down to the smallest of margins, the ability to control muscle and body temperature could give the athlete a decisive advantage. Sargeant, 1987, showed that for every 1°C increase in leg muscle temperature there is a 4% increase in leg peak power output (PPO) and that for every 1°C decrease there is a 3% decrease in leg PPO. The ability to maintain muscle temperature both after a warm up, during periods of inactivity or in cold environments is therefore crucial.

By working with the world renowned sports scientist Professor L. Kilduff and the world leading print research centre the Welsh Centre for Printing and Coating (WCPC), this project aims to develop a flexible, low power, wearable printed heater using functionalised graphene (Haydale Ltd) and to prove that by optimising the positioning and temperatures of these heaters we can design and produce a product that can improve sporting performance better than any existing technologies.