Ensuring the proper environment in sports arenas has notably positive effects on the athletes and users. Correct air dispersion is key to achieving a healthy air quality and a comfortable indoor environment.

Metabolic heat gain is a natural consequence of exercising regardless of your sport of choice. Sweat and odours from athletes mixes in with the room air, thus increasing the humidity and temperature - unless countered by a well-designed HVAC solution.

Researchers have found a significant correlation between athlete performance and the air temperature. In a study on marathon runners, published in the PLOS.org journal, they found that when temperature increased, the runners' speed decreased. Through proper air engineering, the HVAC solution is essential in creating the ideal conditions allowing athletes to perform at their best.

Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) is influenced by the quality of the air being dispersed, which can be improved using prefilters, and also by the dispersion patterns of the air. The latter is determined by the design of the air dispersion system and should ideally be customised to the specific space to avoid zones with stale air and hot or cold spots.


The ideal dispersion pattern is influenced by many factors, such as ceiling height, room dimensions and the purpose of the air. A sports arena is typically also divided into separate zones with each their own distinct air dispersion needs, such as spectator seats, play zone, halls, dressing rooms and so forth.

Sports arenas also serve many different purposes and accommodates varying numbers of people throughout the week. Daily training sessions typically have a very limited audience, whereas events often attract a great number of people. The HVAC solution must work perfectly in all of these conditions, and using an air dispersion system with a high degree of precision is key to achieving just that.

Fabric-based dispersion technology is the most flexible solution on the market. With unrivalled precision, FabricAir tailors the air dispersion system to the specific sports arena, taking into account the purpose of the facility and the different rooms, as well as size, dimensions, and other key requirements.

Ensuring a comfortable indoor environment with a high IAQ is a hallmark of the technology invented by FabricAir. With draft-free comfort the unpleasant odours and humidity are feathered down using a high air change at low velocity, which also ensures that the proper temperature setpoint is achieved.

FabricAir dispersion systems are virtually silent and are not damaged by direct hits from e.g. stray balls. Air curtains can be used to separate zones within the same room, e.g. audience and playing field, and much to the facility managers' liking the systems are virtually maintenance-free as long as the proper pre-filter is installed.

To learn more about air dispersion in sports arena or to read case studies from applications across the globe, please go to www.fabricair.com.