Can T-Shirt Color Affect Young Athletes’ Tennis Performance in Hot Conditions?

Many tennis competitions take place in hot environments when the sun is shining. So tennis players must train in the heat to learn how to perform in hot conditions. Although they may be advised to wear light-colored clothing, many players wear black T-shirts during training and competitions. This study, carried out with young, skilled tennis players, investigated whether T-shirt color (black or white) had any impact on players. During two training matches in the heat (32°C), we measured the air and T-shirt temperatures, how hard players felt like they were working, how comfortable they felt with the environment, and how tired they felt. Results showed that, when playing tennis outdoors in the heat, T-shirt color has no impact on physical factors like temperature. However, wearing a black T-shirt can negatively impact mental factors by increasing athletes’ feelings of working hard, tiredness, and discomfort.