Overview
- Argentina posted images showing players wearing Adidas CLIMACOOL gel vests and insulated foot covers during a regenerative training session the day after their World Cup opener in Kansas City.
- The CLIMACOOL system uses frozen gel plates inside a vest plus an insulating jacket to draw heat from skin and slow rewarming, and Adidas cites up to a 0.5°C drop in core temperature and as much as 13°C lower skin temperature.
- Sports doctors explain the gel transfers body heat to the frozen packs and say the method can speed recovery after exertion, but they warn rapid cold exposure must be medically supervised because it can affect blood pressure.
- Teams adopted the devices after high daytime heat and humidity in Kansas City and similar U.S. venues, and other national squads and Formula 1 teams had already trialed comparable cooling garments before the tournament.
- Tournament logistics raise extra challenges because very cold air conditioning inside FIFA facilities contrasts with outdoor heat, and the longer schedule and travel in this World Cup make regular cooling and monitored recovery more important for veteran players.