You may be familiar with moisture-wicking fabric, especially when it relates to sports uniforms, but you may not know all of the benefits of moisture-wicking fabric. For starters, it's a type of material that is specially engineered to absorb and draw moisture away from your skin's surface. It's a breathable, fast-drying, and cooling material that is sweeping the sports industry for those reasons. While it is used regularly in sports uniforms, it has a variety of other uses and is something you will likely see appearing in regular clothing very quickly.

Sweating is the body's way of cooling itself off in extreme temperatures or under duress, and this is actually a very important bodily function. Without sweat, we could overheat, and suffer from heat stroke, which is a very dangerous situation and can occur even after sweating. Most materials will keep moisture trapped, and will actually soak up the sweat, not allowing it to evaporate or leave your skin, which can become a very uncomfortable feeling, as well as clog up your pores, which can lead to dangerous heat stroke.

This moisture-wicking fabric actually absorbs and releases the moisture from when you start to sweat into the surface of the shirt or pants for quick evaporation. This is not only really helpful, but it's neat technology as well. There are even more benefits of moisture-wicking fabric.

• Keep cool in hot temperatures. When the temperatures start to rise and you start to sweat more, this material is lightweight and will help keep the sweat off of your skin, keeping you cool despite the heat.
• Prevent bacterial growth. By not allowing sweat to just sit, it's eliminating the risk of bacterial growth.
• Prevent hypothermia. It may not seem like you need this material in the winter, but you can still sweat in cooler conditions, and if you aren't wearing items that wick the sweat away, you'll be freezing in no time, and your clothes will be causing you to get colder rather than warmer.
• Does not fade or shrink. This is important, especially in a sports uniform that will be in the elements and washed many times during the season.
• Easy to care for. There are no special washing instructions with material like this, you can put it in the washer and dryer, without having to worry about it becoming damaged.
• Provides relief for night sweats or hot or cold flashes. When a hot flash or night sweats happen, you won't wake up drenched thanks to this material. Same with cold flashes, it'll still help keep you insulated and help regulate your body temperature, even when you are freezing.

While many consider moisture-wicking fabric only for summertime, it has several benefits to wintertime wear, which makes it a great option for all kinds of sports uniforms.