Advancing thermal-moisture comfort and environmental adaptability of running apparel in winter

Outdoor winter running presents challenges of hypothermia and overheating, necessitating the clothing with thermoregulation. This study evaluated the thermal-moisture comfort of four winter running apparel ensembles using a thermal manikin and introduced the Clothing Thermal Sensation Index (CTSI) for assessing environmental adaptability (EA). Results showed increased thermal insulation with greater clothing coverage under static conditions. The thermal regulation level (TRL) improved by 37.31 %-40.09 % with an outer layer, while pant types had minimal impact on thermal regulation. Under dynamic conditions, total thermal insulation decreased by 76.07 %. Notably, the TRL of ensembles T3 and T4 increased slightly by 3.55 %-4.48 %, indicating reduced outer-layer effectiveness during movement. Besides, the T1 achieved a high moisture regulation level (MRL) of 84.11 %, outperforming the T2 by 11.4 %-25.07 % due to quick-dry pants, while the shell jacket in the T3 and T4 significantly reduced the MRL. Additionally, the EA of all ensembles was insufficient under static conditions, with the CTSI_max in the overcooling zone. In dynamic conditions, the ensembles T1, T2, and T4 showed similar CTSI_neutral values in −14 to −6 °C, while the T3 exhibited superior EA in −20 to −10 °C with CTSI_neutral of 20 % higher. This study provides insights for designing winter running apparel and introduces CTSI as a tool for EA assessment.