In the case of particularly high ambient temperatures, especially if associated with high humidity, it is very important to take some precautions in choosing clothing . The same precautions also apply when practicing sports in warm environments.
The first piece of advice is to prefer light clothes, avoiding dark ones. The latter, in fact, absorb the sun's rays, charging the body with radiant thermal energy and increasing the chances of overheating. Conversely, light-colored clothing reflects light by attenuating this form of heat transfer mediated by sunlight.
The second important factor concerns the choice of the material with which the clothes are made, which must be thin and breathable. In this regard, materials such as linen and cotton are an excellent choice. Instead, waterproof synthetic materials should be avoided, since they delay the evaporation of sweat and with it the heat loss.
The third factor concerns the adherence of clothing . When it is hot it is good to prefer loose and comfortable clothes, to allow free air circulation between the skin and the environment. On the other hand, a close-fitting suit simulates windless conditions, thus depriving the organism of the possibility of dispersing heat by convection. When the exchange of air is missing due to the extreme adherence of the garment, the air that is located near the skin is heated acting as an insulating screen that opposes further heat losses by conduction. If, on the other hand, the air can circulate freely in the clothing, the cooler air flows continually reciprocate the now heated air that is near the skin.
The last noteworthy factor concerns the change of wet clothes during a sports or work activity. It is a widespread as well as a wrong habit, as it delays heat exchange. It must in fact be considered that the loss of heat due to evaporation of sweat occurs only when the clothes are wet; it is not in fact the sweat itself that takes heat from the organism, but rather its evaporation.
