Compression sportswear
Encyclopedia
Compression sportswear is clothing usually worn by athletes. They may be shorts, tights or underwear. They are form-fitting garment
s and when worn cover the athlete's waist to mid or lower thigh. These garments are often made from a spandex
-type material.
The main benefits of compression sportswear is that it keeps the muscles warm to prevent muscle strain and fatigue, and wick sweat away from the body to prevent chafing and rashes. In addition, there is some evidence that compression shorts may enhance athletic performance. They are also used as a way to keep the male genitalia in place. Compression sportswear also helps to keep undergarments in place, and for certain sports, like baseball
and softball
, come with padding at the hips to protect players from injuries due to sliding.
There are many types of compression garments that serve a similar function, such as compression t-shirts, socks, sleeves & tights
. Common brands are Nike
, Under Armour
, Skins, McDavid, Easton
, Zensah
, and Adidas
.
More recently, jockstraps
have fallen out of favor with young male athletes, and garments such as compression shorts have seen an increase in popularity, arguably because of their comparable function and less embarrassing looks.
Compression shorts
are also popular among female athletes, especially among those who wear skirts or kilts during games. In those situations, athletes wear compression shorts under the skirt so if they fall over and their skirts ride up, their underwear will not be exposed. This is seen particularly in women's lacrosse
and field hockey
, both being no-contact sports in which players often wear skirts. In this situation, compression shorts are often referred to as spandex
shorts, the material they are often manufactured with.
These factors allow an athlete to increase both the duration and intensity of training and competition.
Form-fitting garment
A form-fitting garment is an article of clothing that tightly follows the contours of the part of the body being covered. There are numerous types of clothing which typically are or which can be made form-fitting. For example, stockings, leggings, tights and socks are usually form-fitting...
s and when worn cover the athlete's waist to mid or lower thigh. These garments are often made from a spandex
Spandex
Spandex or elastane is a synthetic fibre known for its exceptional elasticity. It is strong, but less durable than natural Latex, its major non-synthetic competitor. It is a polyurethane-polyurea copolymer that was co-invented in 1959 by chemists C. L. Sandquist and Joseph Shivers at DuPont's...
-type material.
The main benefits of compression sportswear is that it keeps the muscles warm to prevent muscle strain and fatigue, and wick sweat away from the body to prevent chafing and rashes. In addition, there is some evidence that compression shorts may enhance athletic performance. They are also used as a way to keep the male genitalia in place. Compression sportswear also helps to keep undergarments in place, and for certain sports, like baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
and softball
Softball
Softball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of 10 to 14 players. It is a direct descendant of baseball although there are some key differences: softballs are larger than baseballs, and the pitches are thrown underhand rather than overhand...
, come with padding at the hips to protect players from injuries due to sliding.
There are many types of compression garments that serve a similar function, such as compression t-shirts, socks, sleeves & tights
Tights
Tights are a kind of cloth leg garment, most often sheathing the body from about the waist to the feet with a more or less tight fit, hence the name....
. Common brands are Nike
Nike, Inc.
Nike, Inc. is a major publicly traded sportswear and equipment supplier based in the United States. The company is headquartered near Beaverton, Oregon, which is part of the Portland metropolitan area...
, Under Armour
Under Armour
Under Armour is an American sports clothing and accessories company. The company is a supplier of a wide range of sportswear and casual apparel mainly focusing on hi-tech sportswear for professional athletes...
, Skins, McDavid, Easton
Easton
-United Kingdom:*Easton, Bristol*Easton, Cambridgeshire*Easton, Dorset*Easton, Hampshire**Crux Easton, Hampshire*Easton, Isle of Wight*Easton, Lincolnshire*Easton, Norfolk*Easton Maudit, Northamptonshire*Easton Neston, Northamptonshire*Easton, Somerset...
, Zensah
Zensah
Zensah is a sports apparel company that makes compression apparel to help athletes improve their performance. Athletes of all sports and the United States Navy SEALs use Zensah products. Zensah products consist of shirts, bras, arm sleeves, shorts, leg sleeves, calf sleeves, socks, and hats, and...
, and Adidas
Adidas
Adidas AG is a German sports apparel manufacturer and parent company of the Adidas Group, which consists of the Reebok sportswear company, TaylorMade-Adidas golf company , and Rockport...
.
More recently, jockstraps
Jockstrap
A jockstrap is an undergarment designed for supporting the male genitalia during sports or other vigorous physical activity...
have fallen out of favor with young male athletes, and garments such as compression shorts have seen an increase in popularity, arguably because of their comparable function and less embarrassing looks.
Compression shorts
Compression shorts
Compression shorts are undergarments usually worn by athletes. They are form-fitting garments and when worn cover the athlete's waist to mid or lower thigh. These garments are often made from a spandex-type material, similar to cycling shorts....
are also popular among female athletes, especially among those who wear skirts or kilts during games. In those situations, athletes wear compression shorts under the skirt so if they fall over and their skirts ride up, their underwear will not be exposed. This is seen particularly in women's lacrosse
Women's lacrosse
Women's lacrosse, sometimes shortened to wlax or lax, is a sport played with twelve players on each team. Originally played by the indigenous peoples of the Americas, the first tribe to play it was the Hauser tribe, of the Great Plains. The modern women's game was introduced in 1890 at the St...
and field hockey
Field hockey
Field Hockey, or Hockey, is a team sport in which a team of players attempts to score goals by hitting, pushing or flicking a ball into an opposing team's goal using sticks...
, both being no-contact sports in which players often wear skirts. In this situation, compression shorts are often referred to as spandex
Spandex
Spandex or elastane is a synthetic fibre known for its exceptional elasticity. It is strong, but less durable than natural Latex, its major non-synthetic competitor. It is a polyurethane-polyurea copolymer that was co-invented in 1959 by chemists C. L. Sandquist and Joseph Shivers at DuPont's...
shorts, the material they are often manufactured with.
Benefits
The alleged benefits of wearing compression tights are:- Improving athletic performance by maintaining repeated jump performance
- Reduce muscle movement and vibration and focus the direction of the muscle
- Reducing the risk of sports injuriesSports injuriesSports injuries are injuries that occur in athletic activities. In many cases, these types of injuries are often due to overuse or acute trauma of a part of the body when participating in a certain activity. For example, runner's knee is a painful condition generally associated with running, while...
- Maintaining body temperature and moisture wicking
- Reducing the build up of Creatine kinaseCreatine kinaseCreatine kinase , also known as creatine phosphokinase or phospho-creatine kinase , is an enzyme expressed by various tissues and cell types. CK catalyses the conversion of creatine and consumes adenosine triphosphate to create phosphocreatine and adenosine diphosphate...
which is an indicator of muscle tissue damage. - Reducing the time taken for muscles to repair themselves
- Reducing muscle soreness during post workout recovery
- As an alternative to compression stockingsCompression stockingsCompression stockings and socks are specialised hosiery items designed to increase blood circulation. Their main theraputic purpose is to provide graduated pressure on the lower leg and foot and, in some cases, the thigh, to alleviate circulatory problems such as edema, phlebitis and...
they can be worn during long flights to reduce the risk of Deep vein thrombosisDeep vein thrombosisDeep vein thrombosis is the formation of a blood clot in a deep vein. Deep vein thrombosis commonly affects the leg veins or the deep veins of the pelvis. Occasionally the veins of the arm are affected...
(DVT) caused by pooling of blood in the lower legs
These factors allow an athlete to increase both the duration and intensity of training and competition.