What is MOSH ARCTIC? University of Maryland unveils new cooling system for athletes.
BALTIMORE - Extreme heat can be dangerous even the most elite athletes.
So, when sports teams, no matter at what level, hit the practice field this summer, they must take precautions.
The University of Maryland football team will have new state-of-the-art technology on-site to help fight the heat during summer camp.
How does MOSH ARCTIC work?
The University of Maryland is the first school to utilize the MOSH ARCTIC, a solar-powered sun harvester that will serve as a mobile cooling center for football players battling the sweltering summer heat.
"MOSH is a mobile off-grid sun harvester, which is the abbreviation," said Shawn Bryan, the CEO of MOSH-1.
Bryan demonstrated how this technology will keep the players from overheating.
"Fans are moving right now," Bryan said. "I'm going to keep it at an ambient temperature here of about 40 degrees. We have the ability to go down to 18 degrees but we don't want it to get that cold. We don't want it to be too cold to where we get a reverse effect."
The MOSH ARCTIC is not a substitute for ice baths or other safety measures in place for medical emergencies. It is simply a place for players to escape the heat and cool off.
"We know that a lot of colleges and high schools, their camp starts in two weeks," Bryan said. "We have the ability to start manufacturing right now where we can get them to them and make a difference this year. We have the time to do it."
Learning from past heat-related death
In 2018, Jordan McNair, a football player at the University of Maryland, collapsed during a football workout and died from heat stroke symptoms days later.
In the years following McNair's tragic death, the university has been working with the Jordan McNair Foundation to focus on student-athletes health and safety.
"Prevention is really the key?"
Excessive heat continues to impact the country and heat-related illnesses are a concern as athletes get ready to take the field.
Temperatures in Maryland climbed over 100 degrees the past few days, including 104 degrees on Tuesday.
"Prevention is really the key," said Marty McNair, the father of Jordan McNair. "We want to catch heat exhaustion before it turns into heat stroke."
