The dreaded 'pit' stain -- any cotton T-shirt's worst enemy -- seems to strike at the most inconvenient time, especially for people who exercise. There are options available, however, to prevent sweat stains from ruining a workout.

Bret Hosterman, an assistant manager at Rapid Transit Sportswear, 115 S. Allen St., said cotton T-shirts can sometimes pose a problem for outdoor runners.

"If you ever run in a cotton T-shirt, you'll know that it smells and it's clingy," he said. "And when it's cold outside and you're sweating and the cold hits it, it makes you even colder."

Hosterman said the company HIND sells workout clothes made out of materials such as DryLete and HydraLite, which are very popular because they prevent perspiration from being absorbed by the clothes. Drylete is made of a combination of polyester, hydro-nylon and spandex while HyrdaLite is 100 percent polyester microfiber.

"They're huge," he said. "These materials wick the sweat and moisture away from your skin when you're out running."

There are clothes made of other materials for each season, Hosterman said.

"In the spring and fall, you can wear DryLete, but when winter absolutely hits, you should wear Arctic DryLete," he said. "In the summer you would wear HydraLite."

Hosterman said that Arctic DryLete is especially useful during winter.

"It's really nice," he said. "When it's cold, you can just put it on and it really keeps you warm."

He said many athletes wear clothes made of DryLete.

"If you ever watch a football or a baseball game, you'll notice that that's what the players are wearing under their clothes," Hosterman said. "A lot of runners and soccer players wear it, as well."

W. Larry Kenney, professor of physiology and kinesiology, said it is most beneficial for sweat to evaporate directly off the skin.

"It is the sweat that evaporates directly off of your skin that really cools you," he said. "Sweat that drips off of your skin is a waste of body fluids and sweat that evaporates outside of clothes is less effective in cooling."

Kenney said clothes made of DryLete should be worn when it is not possible for sweat to evaporate directly off the skin.

"The fact that the material wicks the sweat away from your skin gives you an added advantage," he said.

Kenney said the choice to wear DryLete over cotton depends on how often a person exercises.

"It depends on how much of an athlete you are and how much you exercise," he said. "Cotton is fine for the typical recreational jogger, but if you're an elite marathoner, 10K runner, or tri-athlete, it's worth it for that extra advantage."

Kenney said that DryLete and similar materials are not as effective in certain types of weather.

"They become less effective as it becomes more humid," he said.

There is a material, however, that is useful to runners in bad weather, Kenney said.

"Gore-Tex and fabrics similar to Gore-Tex allow perspiration to pass through, yet do not allow rain or snow in," he said.

He said that many workout clothes are made of the same type of materials.

"They are all very similar, they are just made by different companies with different patents," he said. "The purpose is still the same."

Students had mixed reactions to DryLete and other materials used in workout clothes.

Sara Mochnick (senior-labor and industrial relations) buys clothing made of DryLete and similar materials.

"I have a couple of tank tops and a pair of shorts made of DryLete," she said. "It definitely dries the moisture from your body...If you're going to buy clothes to work out in, definitely get it as opposed to cotton."

Andrew Kleinberg (junior-chemistry) said he had never heard of special materials before, but believed they would be useful while playing a sport like badminton.

"I play badminton and I'm pretty hardcore about it," he said. "I've never heard of DryLete before, but it sounds like it would be helpful to wear while playing."