EPIC TRAINING SYSTEMS
Endure, Excel and Achieve
Skins Compression Clothing
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INTRODUCTION Compression garments are all the buzz these days. There is a significant amount of exposure through advertisements, product reviews and photos of professional athletes wearing them. So much so that they caught my attention and I wanted to know more about them. BENEFITS If you are like me you want the "down and dirty" on new products straight away. Well Skins has put together a very informative video. Please take a few minutes to watch the video here. One of the reasons this product piqued my interest was -- from the Skins website "FACT: Skins™ have been scientifically shown to increase venous return by 31%. This increases oxygen delivery to working muscles helping the body to eliminate lactic acid and other metabolic wastes. This allows you to exercise at a much higher rate for longer. Marx J (2006)" In addition, Skins also claims, based on their research, that their compression garments have shown an increase in time to exhaustion by 30 percent, increased strength and power by 10 percent, improving endurance by 15 percent and reducing post exercise muscle soreness. Now these claims are hard to quantify when you go out for a run or bike ride with the garments on. But I will tell you, from personal experience, that I feel fresher after my bike rides and the D.O. M.S. (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness) that I usually experience 24 and 48 hours after my hard training rides has been reduced. EVALUATION Skins literature is comprehensive and their sizing is based on your B.M.I (Body Mass Index). When you look at the sizing chart you may find yourself on the borderline between two sizes -- choose the smaller. You want a snug fit. If your weight fluctuates from race season weight to your winter weight then choose the race weight. The logic here is you will/should spend the majority of the year in racing form other than winter holiday gorging of grandma's potato salad. The first time I put them on I felt all nice and cozy. You feel instantly cooler--and I don't mean like Fonzy. One Skins claims is enhancement of your body's thermoregulation system. I can attest to that. The next thing you feel is the compression of the garment. I chose the long tights and the long sleeve shirt. The full body compression from the Lycra and Meryl Microfibre makes you feel really refreshed. They are pricey at $100.00 per long tight. There are inferior compression garments on the market that are less expensive. One thing to keep in mind is that the elasticity of the garment will wear over time and you will have to replace them. I will hazard a guess that you will have to buy two sets a year if you wear them regularly. On the other hand, I find the cost of Skins a small price to pay for the benefit derived from them. RECOMMENDATION My personal experience has been very positive. I recommend this product for recreational cyclists as well as seasoned professionals. We can all benefit from increased oxygen delivery during exercise, increased power and reduced time for recovery. I personally feel better within minutes of putting on the Sport compression tights. I feel better on the bike as well. If you are like me and train early in the morning before work and then "ride a desk" for eight hours you must get a set of the Travel and Recovery tights. They are designed with greater compression at the calf muscles to increase venous return and aid in making your legs feel fresher. |
