Sports Clothing To Improve Performance

Sports clothing to improve performance may give you an edge, especially in close competitions. Your athletic performance depends on your ability to move efficiently and effectively, which depends on your body's ability to regulate temperatures and processes in multiple body tissues. Clothing can only improve athletic performance, if used under proper conditions. The environment and individual factors, such as perspiration and level of exertion, can help you identify clothing that can improve your performance.

Compression

Sports clothing may use compression to improve athletic performance. A March 2003 study led by Brandon K. Doan, Ph.D., of Ball State University found custom-fit compression shorts may improve athletic performance. The researchers observed 10 male and 10 female participants who performed countermovement tests, which involve starting from a standing position, then squatting and extending the knees and hips again to jump vertically. The single maximum countermovement vertical jump height for men and women who wore compression shorts was nearly 1 inch higher than the control group. Mechanical testing suggests that compression shorts may enhance the propulsive phases of sprinting and jumping.

Cooling

Clothing that improves athletic performance in warm environments helps your body stay cool. According to the United States Department of Labor, you may lose concentration, become irritable, sick or lose the desire to drink as your core body temperature rises. Fainting and death are also possible in more extreme conditions. Warmer skin temperature also hinders performance, because more blood is delivered to external body surfaces than to the active muscles and other internal organs. Therefore, strength declines and fatigue occurs sooner. Sports clothing that improves performance in warm environments includes loose-fitting clothing that promotes airflow, such as sleeveless shirts, permeable fabrics, wind shorts and other ventilated apparel.

Warming

Sports clothing that improves your performance in cold environments helps your body retain heat by preventing undesirable drops in core body and skin temperature. According to a 2006 American College of Sports Medicine report by John W. Castellani, Ph.D., low core body temperature can negatively impact athletic performance. Insulated sports clothing typically contains three layers. The inner layer transfers sweat to the outer layer, which repels wind and rain; and the middle layer provides primary insulation. You might not wear warming clothes while playing your sport when ventilation does not allow enough sweat to evaporate. Castellani recommends keeping warm during intermittent rest periods.

Moisture Transference

Clothing fabrics that help transfer moisture from your skin to the air can improve performance. Moisture transference helps prevent problems that occur with damp clothing. Your core body temperature must rise to sustain physical activity while playing sports, but damp clothing can inappropriately cool your body temperature. Sports clothing may incorporate fabrics that do no absorb sweat, but push moisture out to the air to improve your performance. Polypropylene and polyester are lightweight synthetic fabrics that effectively transfer moisture. Merino wool is an efficient natural fabric, according to Delia Roberts of the American College of Sports Medicine.