Swansea University’s Smart Garments used by Elite Athletes

UK Government Minister, David TC Davies, visited Swansea University’s £132 million Swansea Bay City Deal Campuses Project to see the development of Smart Garments by Professor Kilduff, Dr Bezodis and Professor Claypole.

This wearable technology uses a flexible heater—a carbon-based, stretchable graphene ink—that directly attaches to fabric. This keeps muscle temperature at a constant level which can improve an athlete’s performance.

International elite level athletes and teams in a range of competitions have adopted these garments, including:

• Elite bob-skeleton athletes in the last 3 Winter Olympic Games
• Athletes at the last 3 Commonwealth Games
• Team GB athletes in the upcoming Olympic Games in Tokyo and Beijing
• International Rugby Union at the last 3 Rugby World Cups

Davies also learned about the ground-breaking partnership between Professor Richard Bracken and the local Health board, which is researching glucose management through an analysis of elite, professional cyclists with Type 1 diabetes.

The Swansea Bay City Deal Campuses Project is supported by funding from the UK and Welsh Governments, as part of the Swansea Bay City Deal. The investment will promote innovation and business growth in the expanding Medical and Sports Technology sectors, as well as develop more products, like Smart Garments.

Find out more about the impact of Swansea’s Smart Garments research.

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