The new product will go on sale in mid-July.

On public transport, in shops, in doctors’ offices. In the space of a few months, face masks to protect against Covid-19 have become part of our daily lives.

But what about gyms, which should be reopening shortly, and team sports? It’s not easy to train while wearing a mask, and it will be even more difficult in the hot summer weather.

To enable athletes to train with face protection, but without risking hypoxia (lack of oxygen), American sportswear brand Under Armour has designed a reusable, water-resistant mask, which is equipped with a mouldable nose-bridge to hold it firmly in place and reduce airflow to the eyes that may cause glasses to fog up.

Christened the UA SPORTSMASK, the model is built from lightweight fabric with an underlying structure to keep it off the nose and mouth, which facilitates breathing. A thicker intermediate layer has been added, which lets air through, but blocks humidity and perspiration.

“The fabric used is treated with PROTX2, a non-metal antimicrobial technology that has been shown in laboratory tests to destroy Covid-19,” point out the founders of Under Armour in a press release.

This technology has already been through laboratory tests and is currently being evaluated by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to confirm its efficacy against Covid-19.

From mid-July, the UA SPORTSMASK will be available in several sizes and colours from the brand’s website. Price: US$30.