This article was originally published by the University of Alberta.
After decades designing high-performance athletic wear for industry giants like Nike, Speedo and Spyder, Deidre Hackman found her way back home to Edmonton.
Pursuing a master’s degree at the University of Alberta’s Department of Human Ecology under the supervision of Rachel McQueen, Hackman is using Alberta’s gruelling winters as the baseline for a new research project. She’s developing a weightless, wearable heating system — highly practical for Albertans and Canadian winter athletes.
Ditching the bulky, restrictive wires that hinder elite athletes, Hackman engineered a “magic formulation” to maximize an athlete’s range of motion.
“We have basically created a heater out of conductive ink that then is laminated onto a garment,” explains Hackman. “You can’t even tell it’s there.”
The technology moves naturally with fabric, offering profound physical advantages.
“The research that I was finding was that if you add an active heat source to the warm-up that increases the amount of muscle capacity, they become more supple,” says Hackman. “They become warmer faster.”
This active heat prevents competitors like alpine skiers from stiffening up during delays such as cold chairlift rides. Beyond physical readiness, Hackman’s research targets the mental toll of freezing temperatures. By eliminating the energy drain of shivering, athletes maintain the cognitive focus they need to compete.
Testing with the Canadian Sport Institute yielded positive feedback, with athletes noting a surprising sense of “calm effort” and enhanced recovery routines. Hackman also validated the technology with Canadian athletes during the Milan Winter Olympics.
“Once you present it to them, they go, ‘How did I live without this?’” Hackman says. “They have been quite surprised as to the level of comfort they feel, first of all, but also their ability to train a little bit longer and a little bit harder.”
Aiming to partner with top-tier global brands, Hackman hopes these revolutionary garments could appear on store shelves as early as this fall.
The research was made possible through an investment and support from Alberta Innovates.
—with files from Geoff McMaster
