Our Flemish top athletes are ready for the Olympic Games, partly thanks to scientific innovation
When the Olympic Games take place in Tokyo this summer, temperatures above 30 degrees and humidity of more than 70% are expected. That's why we need to help them cool down before, during and after performance. After all, a body that overheats performs poorly.
Innovative cooling clothing, which cools the bodies of athletes during sports, should help the Belgian Olympians to brave the heat. Together with Flanders (Programma Innovatieve Overheidsopdrachten (PIO)) and Sport Vlaanderen, the VUB participates in the Cold2Gold project.
The research group Human Physiology and Sports Physiotherapy (MFYS) is responsible for drawing up and following up the test protocols. During the tests at Flanders Bike Valley, they examine to what degree the athletes produce, can release and store heat at a specific intensity. Linked to this, they investigate how the innovative technology of cooling clothing can help against the heat.