Selling: Tech Rep


Skintight system


Skins sales manager Edd Hames talks us through the technology behind its compression baselayers.


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printers have been using Lycra suits for many years now. They recognised that wearing tight fitting clothing eliminated the drag associated with loose shorts and tops flapping in the wind, creating a more aerodynamic body shape that allows them to cut through the air more effectively and produce quicker times.


Since the introduction of Lycra, clothing technology has moved on significantly and has spawned a new category of skin tight apparel that has loosely been lumped together and called ‘compression garments’. These tops, tights, shorts and socks are now commonly seen across all sports


Although these garments will all have the same fit profile, they do fall broadly into two camps: those that have been designed with temperature regulation as the main benefit and those that improve performance and recovery via enhanced blood circulation. What’s crucial to recognise is that, though the two types of garments may look the same, they actually function very differently. Several manufacturers offer different garments for use in different climates – usually one for use in hot weather and one for cold. All these garments rely on the wicking properties of the fabrics used to keep you cool in hot weather and when combined with a level of thermal insulation, warm in the winter. Fabrics can only wick perspiration when they are physically touching skin and hence


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why a compression fit, virtually a second skin, was chosen by these manufacturers.


So, what about compression garments that claim to improve circulation and why are these so different from other products that are simply tight fitting?


Blood circulation can only be significantly improved by


applying different levels of specific pressure to different parts of the body - a process often referred to as ‘gradient compression’. Skins products are tighter in some places than


others. For instance, there is twice as much compression in the calf muscles as there is in the thigh. This creates a gradient that forces the blood back to the heart. This increase in venous return results in more blood back to the heart and therefore an increase in overall rate of circulation. This itself then allows more oxygen to be delivered to muscles during exercise or recovery and clears metabolic waste, such as lactic acid, quickly.


The performance benefits of Skins comes from keeping muscles working aerobically for longer than normal, improving both power and endurance. And, when used as part of a recovery programme, gradient compression garments deliver more oxygen to recovering muscles, allowing faster healing of micro- tears and reducing the swelling associated with this process. Improving circulation also aids body temperature regulation by keeping warm blood moving rapidly to the body’s extremities. With Skins, the focus for any retailer needs to be on the kit’s


ability to enhance performance – either during sport, or in improved post-activity recovery. If you have a customer whose only requirement is keeping warm, then the chances are that they will be as happy with a lower specification, more mainstream, garment.


However, most professional sports people, competitive individuals and so-called ‘weekend warriors’ are always looking for that extra ‘edge’ and this is where Skins can really deliver.


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