Why do Ugandan athletes train in jackets and compression tights? 

I think an extra element is it help athletes train year round for summer races in hot and humid weather.

Thank you from England! Wondered this for years! Now I am going to buy for myself.

I see this as a cultural practice. Many cultures including people from Latin America associate cold environments with illness or pneumonia. Scientifically this is not true, but there could be other unknown benefits.

They have very low body fat so they are susceptible to the cold. It is proper they wear tights and jackets when running at anywhere below 20 C. Look at the Boston Marathon when it snowed and rained, it was Yuki Kawauchi who won. They aren't used to running in cold due to very low body fat.

Hey Alvin.. I'm writing from Victoria in Australia. We have many weather changes, so some days I wear jackets, some days, just a singlet and shorts. Always quite cold as I live by the ocean, but not cold like the UK can be. No snow where I am..

Here in the philippine we can not always wear a jacket becoz its too hot here maybe if you run 400Am upto 500Am only.and also during winter only from dcmbr upto february only.

Great channel

I think when he talked about the body salts/sweat, he was referring to the toxins expelled in sweating

What a nice video! Very informative and inclusive.

I like this video. I've been curiois about running culture and practices in other countries.

I generally train in layers because I condition myself for both heat and weight. When shedding the gear for a race I am lighter and because I primarily only enter summer races, my body is fine with the heat

Hi Alvin, as I was watching the given explanations, particularly with respect to why wearing a jacket seems to be so prevalent, I have to say that everything that I heard sounded almost exactly the same as the explanations I heard while I was in Uganda twenty years ago, as to why someone might choose to drink room-temperature beer rather than beer that has been cooled in a refrigerator, which I might summarize as, so you don't take a chance and let illness invade your body. I went along with the idea because I didn't want to stand out and just fit in, even though I thought it was a stupid idea, and I don't see much reason to classify the jacket reasons as being any more well supported, and I don't doubt that it is similar thinking leading to this jacket idea to continue to be seen to be in practice

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Ive never clicked on a video so fast in my life

Hi from east Java Indonesia ..here is so hot its 37'C even in the morning. Maybe during Rainy season we can wear jacket like that😊

Interesting, allthough I do not understand removing excess salts. You cant really have enough salts. Or is he indirectly reffering to generate sweating?

I think the real main reason is it looks professional lol. I’m sure it does help warm up their bodies as well tho

More men are wearing tights now 👍.

Hi Alvin, hope your doing good. do you know where I can buy ugandan running clothing online? I didnt find anything. next year I will visit Kapchorwa, hopefully until then your hotel is finish😊

Where do they get all these tights ? So expensive

Somewhere I read a comment stating that Kenyan/Ugandan runners train in jackets because that's how pro runners train in there - in jackets. It's seen as a sign of being a pro. I'm sure it's for the cold too, but you can easily just put on two shirts, one short sleeve and one long sleeve shirt to keep the cold away. Also there's no way these jackets can breathe as well as a simple t-shirt. The tights just look good and are stylish. Short shorts look ridiculous especially if you're a skinny man, it's just not a good look. Again I'm sure it's for bloodflow too, but you cannot deny it's a better look than shorts :)

I imagine wind whipping your chest & back could 'wind' you. That's what they were describing.

Great video. Some of the science makes sense but the sweat “excessive salts” is not sound science. Keep the videos going 👍🏻

Wonderful Adidas marketing. I will dress up myself 😂😂

maybe these guys have someone to collect there jackets , when it does get too warm ??!

We intentionally train w minimal clothing to keep our skin healthy and body strong enough to tolerate cold, its the opposite approach to preventing sickness, like taking ice baths

I don't believe the jackets warmth prevents disease or pneumonia. Westerners do tend to get more flu/sickness, but is shown to be from being overworked, poor nutrition, gym work indoors while in a weak state. But, I would be open to seeing any research or evidence.

Dude where were these jackets during covid? It prevents the virus. That's crazy.

I don't believe any of it. Sure jacket and tights when it's 15C or under but wearing a jacket to prevent pneumonia, running, in 20C that's never going to happen. My guess is that some of the fastest runners like Kipchoge/Haile wore jackets and tights and it's become a part of running culture over there. I think they use it as a part of heat training to get a good sweat on. When it's sunny outside you want the sun on your skin to produce vitamin D very important for running recovery and overall health.

These guys are just making stuff up..

I am confused- Don't all distance runners train in jackets and compression tights? They do here in WI