Nike showcases sports recovery chair that heats, cools with style

It's not the fountain of youth, but according to its creator it could give athletes a distinct advantage over opponents.

The Microclimate Chair, created by LA-based architect Greg Lynn, allows athletes in sports such as basketball to get quick heating or cooling therapy by simply sitting in the chair rather than hopping in an ice bath or wrapping themselves in mounds of towels.

Made from a combination of flexible carbon tape and carbon weave, the chair is embedded with roughly 70 Peltier thermoelectric pads that either heat up or cool down based on the level of electrical charge. Framing the outer edge of the chair is a tube that distributes air around the person's body, which is designed to reduce humidity. The combination of the heating, cool and air is thought to be perfect for treating an athlete's muscles during breaks in a game.

According to Dezeen, the chair was created for Nike's "The Nature of Motion" exhibition for Milano Design Week 2016. There are no plans to offer the chair for sale, but for rich athletes with the cash to fund such a throne-like sports recovery device, the idea is out there just waiting for support.