Does anyone have an input concerning the effect of wearing black clothing while exercising I know black absorbs light and feels hotter when it is your black leather interior. But what is the difference while racing in it. I am interested in buying a 2XU Elite suit but an concerned about wearing all black.
Thanks in advance
I’m interested in the replies too considering the pros I saw racing IM Hawaii in black get-ups including hats!
You can find lots of opinions about this if you try the “search” function, for example:
http://forum.slowtwitch.com/gforum.cgi?post=842332;search_string=black%20clothing;#842332
.
You look cool, but you might be marginally hot. I wear black all the time, but if the coverage is minimal- I don’t feel it as much as if I am covered head to toe. I get more heat relief from sun screen.
i’ve raced the last 4 years in black. it has never felt hot. i’ve haven’t noticed any bad temp with it. i am guessing the water doesn’t evaporate off of it as fast and keeps you cool. it was great in kona this year. black is the new black…
There is a post lingering around here…I think Sergio is the author. They layed out several colors out in the sun with theromometers; the difference between black and white lycra was about 10 degrees.
found it:
Keau
If I remember my physics correctly, black also emits heat more rapidly…
I prefer black for the slimming effect.
yes, it looks cooler and thats all that counts.
yesterday I would agree with the black color thing, but in today’s fabric world the best fabrics and just starting to be used by more companies are fabrics that have an SPF factor of 30-50+. When used with fabrics like this the color is irrevelant with regards to heat buildup. Always look at the label. If it doesn’t say SPF protection, than look at another manufactorer. For Triathlon this is a must. I made some almost all black clothing for a top triathlete and he had no problems because the fabric had a high SPF factor.
“Back in 1988, Mark Frank and Tom Gilovich of Cornell University published an academic paper entitled “The Dark Side of Self- and Social Perception: Black Uniforms and Aggression in Professional Sports” (in Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 54:1). Through a battery of experiments and some historical analysis, the researchers demonstrated that black athletic uniforms are linked with aggression.”
more here
I don’t wear black tops for the heat reason. I do wear black shorts as they look best, but black tops are too hot.