If you are a runner, you will know only too well the difficulties that can prevent you from achieving those seemingly impossible times. A second here or there might not sound like much, but to a dedicated runner, even a second off your personal best is a welcome bonus. If you are a mid to long range runner, you would be competing at any distance from 800 metres to a marathon, and timing your finish is a crucial element to clipping even one tenth of a second off your personal best. Fortunately, there are innovative clothing designs that can actually improve performance, and this range of shirts and shirts use compression technology to improve muscle performance.
What is Compression Technology?
The word compression means to exert a limited amount of pressure on something, and compression clothing keeps the muscles at the right tension and this allows for optimum blood flow, which delivers more oxygen to fatigued muscles. A runner would use their thigh muscles to provide that critical drive forward and compression shorts would have a positive effect on your thigh muscle performance by keeping the right tension and helping to focus the muscles on direction.
Tried and Tested
Compression clothing for top athletes has been tried and tested, with scientists carrying out experiments as athletes push themselves to their limits. It is only by testing in these conditions, can they design and create stretchable fabric with specific seamlines that enable the muscles to perform better. This means you can achieve faster times without having to train any harder, or change your program, as the extra energy is delivered by the compression clothing.
Reduced Recovery Time
Another thing that compression clothing gives you is faster recovery, because your muscles are less fatigued than usual due to the increased blood flow that is the result of the added support for the muscles.
Soft Tissue Damage
This can occur with runners and wearing compression shorts will reduce this significantly, as the right tension is always supporting the muscles as they work, so there is less chance of soft tissue that surrounds the muscles becoming damaged. Even slight tissue damage can keep you off the track long enough to seriously disrupt your training schedule, and wearing the right clothing lessens the risk of this.
Extra Solar Protection
The sun’s harmful UV rays can damage sensitive skin, even under your track clothing, and compressed fabric has 50% UV protection, which can effectively eliminate sunburn and skin irritation. This added protection might not be noticeable while you are running, but you will notice the difference after the session is over, as your skin will not be affected so much by the sun’s rays.
There are online suppliers of compression sportswear and the best thing to do is actually order some items and put it to the test. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain, and imagine how you will feel when your PB is consistently shaved, enabling you to overcome the opposition.
