Compression gear has been in the market place for a number of years now. We’ve been supplying elite athletes since 2004. Its effectiveness is preached by some and disregarded by others. More recently, however, the effectiveness of compression gear has been under a lot of scrutiny with tights companies making big claims.
Whilst we don’t comment on other brands and types of compression garments, one thing we can do is provide you with relevant information regarding our very own Australian-made compression garments.
First and foremost, that’s exactly where one of the biggest differences lies!
All Body Science compression garments are made in-house in our Burleigh factory on the Gold Coast, meaning you know you are getting quality controlled products with strict manufacturing policies in place. What’s even more interesting is the compression material is actually made here on the Gold Coast.
But back to the science!
For years compression garments have been used in clinical settings for the treatment and therapy of various health-related issues. However it has only been in more recent years that their potential benefit in enhancing sport performance and recovery has been proposed.
The most prominent mechanism by which compression garments are proposed to improve performance is by applying a pressure gradient which is highest in the ankles and lowest in the upper thigh. This in turn increases the blood flow return from the legs to the heart, helping to enhance the removal of waste products and allow a quicker return to blood gas homeostasis.
Yes, this sounds great, but does it actually happen?
In a recent study that assessed whether compression garments enhance the active recovery process after high intensity running, compression garments where found to reduce blood lactate and HR during active recovery, assisting in the recovery of an athlete in the preparation for their next bout of high-intensity exercise. By assisting the recovery process, compression garments were thereby found to increase subsequent performance.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22082795
Ok, so how do your compression garments differ to others in the market place?
Compression Design/Material:
Handmade, our design launched muscle shaping technology. We understand sport & being athletic, so we worked with S&C rehab coaches and pinpointed the most common soft tissue injuries that occur in all forms of sporting performance. We targeted our compression panels; no one had done this before & our revolutionary compression design focussed on the major leg muscle groups including the calves, hamstrings, quadriceps and groin. This is key to promoting unprecedented gains in performance whilst facilitating faster recovery.
Our compression science since 2004 takes into account knowledge of muscle shapes and their functions, allowing the design of the most advance compression garment on the market today. The art behind our targeted compression garment lies in its multiple panel design, enabling unprecedented muscle support and graded compression to the entire leg group.
Moisture & Heat Management:
As a natural consequence of performing exercise, the body produces heat, however in many sports the environmental conditions athletes are subjected to can further challenge the body’s ability to regulate temperature. Knowledge of this has lead to sourcing the worlds best permanenet moisture management TRURelease ® (formerly known as Sorbtek) form the UNIFI USA, solely to employ a catch, move, release moisture management technology tested for 50 washes in the fabric of all our compression garments ensuring superior temperature regulation. Fibers made with TruRelease ® wick moisture up to three times faster than other fibers—so with our compression garments moisture moves away and evaporates quicker, keeping the wearer cool and dry. This technology is coupled with a unique temperature control technology ColdBlack ® from Schoeller Switzerland. It’s different to moisture management as it targets the body temperature from the outside. Why? It further promotes the body’s ability to regulate shifting temperatures. It’s a given that most athletes spend considerable amounts of time under the intense heat of the sun. Coldblack® is a special finishing technology incorporated into our material design that reduces heat build-up and provides reliable protection from UV rays. Dark coloured compression garments absorb both types of rays and therefore absorb heat. Our use of Coldblack® reduces this absorption of heat rays resulting in tangibly better heat management.
Infared technology:
Our latest addition after long research is FIR (infared) technology, which ensures that our compression garments start the recovery process when you start exercising. As you heat up, the body heat is absorbed by the compression yarn and is returned as FIR rays which penetrate the subcutaneous skin layer to improve microcirculation. Cutaneous microcirculation is responsible for thermoregulatory exchange, excretion of several substances such as water and minerals and protection against external stressors such as heat and cold. Skin microcirculation plays a significant role in human body homeostasis, enhances skin blood flow as core temperature increases, and improves athletic performance and recovery.
The combination of these technologies assist in accelerating recovery of muscle pain after exercise. Furthermore, the material advantages assists your training routine and are easily implemented. Pain, comfort & athlete wellness means Body Science’s exclusive compression material is beneficial in improving training quality by means of increased loading, more comfort, better circulation and reduced injury risks. All in all, the cut of the Body Science Gradient Compression Garment assists in reducing injury, improving performance and facilitating recovery via the following mechanisms:
- Compression of the leg muscles aiding in enhanced blood flow, promoting improved muscular endurance and stability.
- Improved lactic acid removal allowing a reduction in fatigue; muscular fatigue is the common most time of most muscular injuries.
- Providing the muscle with optimal thermal temperatures ensuring a reduction in muscle strains and sprains, often a consequence of reduced core muscle temperatures.
- Improved oxygen flow to muscles allowing an increase in overall aerobic performance.
- Reduced muscle vibration during exercise in turn facilitating post work out recovery.
- Reducing muscle and ligament strain by improving spatial awareness of muscles and keeping muscles in line and at optimal positions.
Targeted compression is a science that takes into account knowledge of muscle shapes and their functions. The use of this science and our ability to match it with exercise functions has allowed us to develop a far superior garment.
Now that you have the information, know that by using Body Science compression garments you are getting quality products with real benefits. If you’re into improving your performance, get into a pair today.