Sports Magazine

Love the rush of mountain biking, kayaking, or off-road adventure running in the mountains? Extreme sports are great fun and really give you the buzz to stay fit and strong.

The only problem is that it is hard to keep enjoying your sports when the temperature goes way down, until you cant feel your fingers anymore and you end up in bed with the flu every time you go for a ride! Sure, there are some great protective clothes you can get (especially now that Gore-tex and similar products are so affordable) but it isn’t as fun doing stuff when you are rugged up and can’t move properly.

The solution that myself and many people I know use is quite simple – put the insulation under your clothes, not over them. What I am talking about is nothing other than the humble old thermal underwear that can be purchased for relatively low prices almost anywhere.

Thermals are great – they sit snugly on the skin, so they don’t hang and give you a restricted and baggy look or feel. They don’t get in the way, and can’t get snagged on passing objects as you ride or run past them, unlike loose over garments like jackets or jumpers.

How effective are they? In short, very effective indeed. Professional athletes often wear them, as do military and law enforcement officers. Not only do thermals  keep in an amazing amount of body heat (you will comfortably walk around in a light weight shirt over your thermal on a frosty morning), but it also draws away moisture from your skin. This means that when you run or ride or whatever, and you begin to sweat, the moisture is absorbed by the fibers of the underwear. The heat rising from your skin then causes this moisture held in the cloth to evaporate – effectively cooling you down again. By the time you are cool, your clothes are dry – ready to do it all again, all day long if need be!

The best thermal underwear is still made of superfine wool, and will provide years of service if correctly washed. Cheaper alternatives include cotton, and various forms of synthetic fibers that are not quite as good, but represent significant cost savings if you are on a budget.