Moisture-wicking fabric：Don't Sweat It

In nonpolar substances, the London dispersion forces that act between nonpolar molecules tend to be weaker than the dipole-dipole forces that act between polar molecules. Thus, nonpolar compounds are more hydrophobic. Oil, being nonpolar, does not dissolve in water. Dry cleaners are adept at removing stains—most of which are nonpolar (think grease stains)—because they have access to a wide array of nonpolar solvents.

If we don’t want to work out in a hydrophilic fabric, do we want to work out in a hydrophobic one? Well, if you’ve ever weathered a storm in an old-fashioned rubber raincoat, you soon realized you were just as wet on the inside as on the outside. Since your perspiration has nowhere to go, it just lays against the skin, making you feel clammy and gross. If you place a drop of water on a fabric and it is repelled, demonstrating its hydrophobicity, it is most definitely not sweat wicking.

Sweat-wicking fabrics work as a result o...