Some of us may remember the old paint ad from where a man states that the Australian sun is hot enough to fry an egg, and then proceeds to crack an egg and cook it on top of a paint can. While this advertisement may have been embellished a little for the sake of a good sales pitch, there’s no denying that the extreme UV and heat radiation generated from the sun above Australia is significantly greater than that of most other populated areas in the world.

And the extreme weather also continues into winter months where some of the southern states can experience snap cold fronts with hail and snow. Much of this extremity can be attributed to the reduction in the ozone layer. Of course, this has caused us to adapt, so the application of sunscreen and wearing sun-smart clothing and hats all through summer is the norm. Many of our buildings and outdoor facilities are built with the weather in mind and are usually designed to withstand and endure these elements.

But what if you’re out playing sport in this extreme heat?

Firstly sporting clothes and apparel has also made significant inroads in being able to combat the effects of extreme heat, as well as UV radiation.  Many articles of clothing now created by the big sporting apparel companies such and Reebok, Adidas, and Nike are all made with a UV rating of UPF50+ and are designed to cover as much exposed skin as possible, but with significantly thinner and lighter material, so as not to impact the athlete in any way.  With the ability to actually wick away excess moisture and improved ventilation, they’re also constructed to be far more durable than items in the past. It’s almost like they’re defying the laws of science… except that’s exactly how they were developed!

It’s these advancements in science and the way in which UV rays and heat affect all manner of things, that have led to the development in how many types of surfaces can be improved to combat this. This includes sports surfaces, such as a tennis court.

A tennis and basketball outdoor courts will absorb the heat not only from direct sunlight but also radiated heat from surrounding structures. This is especially noticeable in a sporting stadium where the grandstands and supporting structures are all constructed from concrete. This heat then radiates onto players using these courts, causing dehydration, and even effects the speed and bounce of the balls, or the grip of their shoes. So, it’s important that ways to mitigate the amount of heat retained by these concrete components.

How to stop the sun

The science behind mitigating the effects of extreme heat has taken leaps and bounds over the last few decades. This has led to the development of a manner of ways to combat the effects of extreme heat.

One of the first, and most obvious ways is through the creation of stadiums that have the ability to close their roof. There are several examples of these types of stadiums throughout the world. An enclosed roof then means that the enclosed arena needs to be climate-controlled, but this is usually taken well into consideration depending on what type of weather is most common to that locality.

Other stadiums have cleverly integrated design elements that guide free-flowing air throughout the structure and can shift according to the direction in which the wind is blowing. Similarly, the use of large sun sails, water vaporizers, and retractable awnings can also assist in mitigating the effects of heat.

The sports surfaces themselves have also been given an upgrade since the days of the past. Some surfaces such as those developed by APT have factored in how much sun exposure they endure and have invented two different products which directly combat the heat absorbed by the sports court.

Their COOLplus synthetic polymer yarn is used to create artificial turf used on sporting turf and was designed to specifically reflect a portion of the UV rays to which it is exposed.

Their HydroChill product will absorb water either from rain or hosing and will allow this gradual evaporation over a period of days provides a cooling effect.

The combination of these two technologies can produce an overall reduction of the surface temperature by over 20%. So the next time you see two players slogging it out in the sun, see if you can spot what the field or court temperature is and if there are any cooling elements being used as mentioned in this article!