A Look at Nike's Cooling Mask Prototype

The needs of a decathlon athlete are answered by Nike with the brand’s latest invention of the Cooling Mask.

image via Nike

United States olympic winner and decathlon word record holder Ashton Eaton teams up with Nike’s apparel innovation team to design a prototype cooling mask that resembles something Bane from Batman would wear.

The inspiration behind this mask is Eaton’s need for a quick recovery in between events during competition. He explained, “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. ”

The fundamental concept behind this mask involves small “veins” wrapping the user’s face and neck in which water is held to remove heat from the face, which is found to be two to five times more sensitive than any other skin surface of the body.

Eaton, together with his wife and athlete Brianne Thiesen-Eaton, will be testing this mask during summer training and if it proves successful, be ready to meet faceless athletes at the next Olympic Games.

Source: Nike