Nike Designs New Cooling Helmet For Athletes

Nike, already well known for their sports gear, is now going from our feet to our heads: they’ve released images of a “cooling helmet” prototype to keep athletes from overheating.

In a press release today, Nike announced that they are working with Olympic runner Ashton Eaton to construct a new piece of headgear that, when chilled before wearing, could potentially drastically lower recovery time for runners and other athletes. While other sites have been dubbing it the “ice hat,” Nike has not released an official name for it.

Eaton first approached Nike with the idea after assessing his own condition during and after extended competitions.

“After asking questions about current recovery techniques, the conversation prompted me to ask myself: Why does it feel good, after running, to pour a bottle of water over your head? I don’t know the physiological answer, but the fact that it does feel better makes me perform better.”

Nike looked back to previous creations, including a cooling vest, to begin looking into a way to cool an athlete’s face as they run. The resulting prototype in Nike’s press release looks a bit like something that might belong on a medieval jouster, but is constructed to keep the face of the wearer cool in a way that will help athletes recover more quickly and last longer in extended competitions of the sort in which Eaton participates.

At present, Nike’s prototype is focusing on ways to retain water without leaking, while focusing cooling under the eyes and in specific areas around the head. Ideally, they’re constructing a sort of portable ice box that fits around the runner’s head. The trick now for Nike is finding the balance between keeping it cool enough to make a difference, but not so cold as to cause chills or distracting headaches.

There’s still a ways to go (Nike is planning to roll out tests and further versions of the helmet leading up to the 2016 Summer Olympics) but it’s looking good. Biologist Craig Heller explained to Wired that Nike’s helmet targets some of the body’s “natural radiators” — specifically, the networks of arteries and veins in the forehead and cheeks — that help rid the body of heat. By keeping these specific areas chilled, Nike’s helmet keeps your body cool “from the inside out.”

As of now, Nike has created prototypes of the helmet for both Eaton and Canadian athlete Brianne Theisen-Eaton, the latter of whom will be testing it during summer training.