MISSION Athletecare™ Unveils Wearable Cooling Gear To Maximize Athletic Performance And Combat Overheating

NEW YORK, May 1, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, MISSION Athletecare™, which was co-founded by world-class athletes to create products that uniquely address athlete challenges, unveiled a full line of wearable cooling gear that tackles a pressing and universal athlete issue: overheating.

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Overheating can significantly impact athletic performance – whether on the practice field, court, gym, or pavement – and pose serious health risks. The CDC continues to list heat-related illness as one of the top physical dangers facing U.S. high school and college athletes, and researchers at Stanford University and the National Athletic Trainers Association cite tangible mental and physical benefits for athletes who can remain cooler during and after training.*

MISSION's new EnduraCool™ Instant Cooling Gear is powered by patented Coolcore™ technology, and offers innovative, intelligent and sustainable cooling solutions to athletes across all sports – from individuals to teams, casual competitors to professionals – giving them the ability to feel cooler, go harder and enhance their performance. The new EnduraCool™ Instant Cooling Gear lineup includes: Cooling Hoodies, Cooling Sleeves, Cooling Skull Caps, Cooling Helmet Liners and Cooling Headwear. The line builds upon the research and thermoregulation technology that originally produced the Mission EnduraCool™ Instant Cooling Towel, and offers instant cooling benefits in lightweight and breathable textiles that also include UPF 45+ sun protection.   

A simple process activates the cooling technology in all EnduraCool products. Athletes simply wet it, wring it out, and allow air to circulate into the fabric. The fabric cools to approximately 30 degrees below the average body temperature in under a minute, and the cooling effects – easily reactivated by re-wetting the fabric (with water or sweat) and re-introducing air flow – last for hours.

Elite athlete partners like Reggie Bush, Ryan Tannehill and Dwyane Wade have first-hand insight into how overheating can affect performance and played an integral role in the new EnduraCool™ product testing.

"Two-a-days in Miami gave me a unique perspective," offered Bush. "There is a need for better training and game-day cooling solutions. We worked to make sure the new EnduraCool Gear performed better in game and on the sidelines than other products out there." The Instant Cooling Helmet Liner and Instant Cooling Hoodie were engineered with input from Bush and Tannehill. The Cooling Helmet Liner offers under-helmet cooling, while the Cooling Hoodie can be tucked into jerseys or pads, for cooling relief around the head, neck and shoulders when resting on the sidelines. "These products make you feel cooler, stay cooler, and keep from being weighed down by equipment that is soaking wet," said Bush.

NBA Champion Dwyane Wade offers another perspective. "Overheating is both a mental and physical battle. When I am cool, I can keep my focus," said the eight-time All-Star. "EnduraCool provides real athlete solutions to keep your temperature in check so you feel cooler and can push yourself to perform your best down the stretch."

"We looked at the industry and talked with athletes, coaches and trainers.  Alongside concussion and hydration, overheating is at the top of the list of preventable sports injuries facing athletes at every level of play," said Founder and President Josh Shaw. "We know that optimal performance is achieved when athletes can maintain a safe, consistent temperature and our new EnduraCool™ Instant Cooling Gear line delivers that benefit in a way that nothing else can."

MISSION has been a first-mover in several athlete-engineered innovations. From the revolutionary Court Grip™ that improves court traction and lateral quickness to Power Grip™ that eliminates sweaty palms with a no-mess gel, MISSION has become the leading provider of Athletecare™ products in sporting goods and continues to set the standard for Athlete-Engineered™ innovations.

The EnduraCool™ collection is available at sporting goods retailers nationwide including: Dick's Sporting Goods, The Sports Authority, Finish Line, Modell's, Hibbett Sports and Sports Chalet, as well as nationally at Lowe's Home Improvement.

Large Cooling Towel (SRP $14.99)
Volt, Blue, Black and Pink

XL Mesh Cooling Towel (SRP $19.99)
Blue, Red, Grey-White

Cooling Body Towel (Brookstone Exclusive SRP $39.99)
Blue, Orange, Lime

Mesh Cooling Hoodie (SRP $19.99)
Black

Cooling Skull Cap (SRP $14.99)
Black, White

Cooling Helmet Liner (SRP $14.99)
Black, White

Cooling Arm Sleeves (SRP $43.99)
Black, White, Orange, Yellow

Multi-Cooling Headwear (SRP $19.99)
Black, Blue, Red

To find out more, visit www.missionathletecare.com.

About MISSION:
MISSION is the first and only line of athlete-engineered products designed to enhance performance in training and competition. Co-founded in 2009 by a premier group of world-class athletes including 13-time Grand Slam Tennis Champion Serena Williams, 7-time MLB All-Star David Wright and Gold Medal Soccer Champion Mia Hamm, MISSION boasts more than 25 high-performance product innovations and is sold in nearly 20,000 stores across the U.S. MISSION works with its world-renowned athletes, doctors and scientists to engineer products that help athletes prepare, perform and rehab from training or competition. Find out about MISSION at www.missionathletecare.com and follow us @MissionAthlete.

The company also has a dual MISSION. While delivering world-class product innovations, MISSION also makes an impact off the field of play through The M Foundation, which promotes the health & safety of youth athletes and recognizes and rewards high school athletes that give back to their communities. MISSION is setting a new standard in "high-performance" on all levels.

* Sources:
Heat Illness Among High School Athletes 
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, MMWR Weekly, August 2010
Cooling The Neck Region During Exercise in the Heat
National Athletic Trainers' Association, Inc  2011
Innovation in Exercise
Sandra Tsai; Marcia L Stefanick
Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 2012

SOURCE MISSION Athletecare