The Hut Magazine

The Hut

Living

COMPRESS

yourself

Compression wear and base layers are

always thought of as

must-haves

for your sportswear

collection, but what’s the real story behind compression

wear? Are there really any performance benefits to be

had from wearing them? The Hut delves into the world

sports compression

to look at the benefits to be had

from investing in compression and base layers.

WHAT IS C

OMPRESSION

ALL ABOUT

The close-fitting ‘s

econd skin’ nature of base

layers means that

you often forget they’re

there when you’re

in the midst of a match,

race or tournamen

t. But it’s not discreetness

that they’re desig

ned for; the pressure and

controlled tightne

ss delivered by compression

pieces is

designed

to keep your muscles held

in a secure and na

tural position.

This muscular prot

ection reduces the chances

of injury

by holdin

g your physique exactly the

way it should, sto

pping muscles moving and

vibrating on impa

ct. It’s not necessarily the

big major injuries t

hat compression wear aims

to protect—a soun

d exercise routine will sort

that out—but mor

e so the little strains and

pulls that can leav

e you feeling sore after a big

game. Wearing co

mpression gear will help

with this, leaving y

ou focused on what’s

important: your sp

ort.

What’s more, usin

g compression post-

match

will also aid

your body in its recovery.

Compression gar

ments are designed to

increase blood flo

w during and after your

workout, working

to reduce the build-up of

lactic acid and pre

vent DOMS.

DO I NEED COMP

RESSION

PANTS, LEGGING

S OR TIGHTS?

All forms of compression e

ssentially work the

same way, so how do you

decide on what

type of compression you n

eed? The difference

between compression pan

ts, leggings and tights

is typically the weight of fa

bric used in the

design.

COMPRESSION LEGGING

Generally made from a thi

nner fabric,

compression leggings are

used as a base layer

under shorts or pants to h

elp give you greater

warmth and circulation du

ring your workout.

COMPRESSION TIGHTS:

With a shorter cut that go

es from the waistline

down to the ankle, compre

ssion tights are made

from a heavier fabric and c

an be worn as a

standalone outer layer.

COMPRESSION PANTS:

Compression pants are made from a heavier

fabric and are designed to be worn as a

standalone outer layer. Depending on the

thickness of the fabric (which you can find in

our product descriptions), you should vary your

compression pants depending on the season.

COMPRESSION GLOSSARY:

Gradient Compression:

Garments with gradient

or graduated compression are woven in such a way

as to deliver the highest level of compression at the

ankle and lessening towards the waistline to give a

comfortable fit on the hips.

DOMS (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness):

Also known as muscle fever, DOMS is the pain

and stiffness felt in muscles in the hours and days

following your workout.

Blood Lactate (Lactic Acid):

Produced especially

during power exercises such as sprinting, lactate

is an organic acid built up when there isn’t enough

oxygen in the body to break down glucose for

energy. The resulting build-up provokes feeling of

muscle ache, burning, nausea and stomach pain.

Aerodynamics:

The qualities of an object that

affect how easily it is able to move through the air.

Greater aerodynamics in your workout gear will

give reduced friction and greater velocity.

KEY BENEFITS:

Controlled pressure over key muscles

helps prevent injury

Aids physique and posture during workout

Improved blood circulation

Additional warmth in colder workout

environments

Faster recovery

Prevents build-up of lactic acid

Reduces chafing

Greater aerodynamics

26 The Hut

Living