SKINS ARE THE PIONEERS OF COMPRESSION SPORTSWEAR
The use of medical compression has been around for almost 100 years. However, in 1987, a study in the American Journal Of Physical Medicine by doctors Michael J Berry and Robert G McMurray concluded that compression in a sporting context had a positive result. Back in the 90s, it was the inventor of SKINS who was the first to think about bringing compression, in a sporting context, to the market, and the rest is history.
By 2002 SKINS had introduced the first-ever Compression Sportswear to the market. For years it was professional athletes and sportspeople who were reaping the benefits of Compression Sportswear. Nowadays, it’s the lycra-clad club cyclists, the weekend park runners, the dedicated gym-goers, the yogis…and more who are reaping the benefits alongside the pros.
WHAT DOES COMPRESSION SPORTSWEAR DO?
Compression Sportswear helps with Active Performance and Recovery, and SKINS have been proven to:
Venous return refers to the rate of blood flow back to the heart.
Reduce exercise-induced muscle damage (EIMD)
EIMD is defined by symptoms that present both immediately and for up to 14 days after the initial exercise bout.
Reduce delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS)
Delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS) is muscle pain that begins after you’ve worked out. It normally starts a day or two after a workout. You won’t feel DOMS during a workout.
Proper use of SKINS help speed up your recovery just as hydration, cooldowns, stretching, and nutrition helps.
Lactic acid build-up can cause muscle pain, cramps and muscular fatigue. It’s produced when your body is low in oxygen, and it needs to convert glucose into energy. SKINS help increase the oxygenation process.
Muscle oxygenation is the rate of oxygen usage and supply to the working muscle tissue.
Improve body temperature control
Improved blood flow from the compression technology plus integrated wicking in SKINS helps regulate body temperature.
Reduce the swelling of your ankles/feet/legs during air travel.
Increase strength, power and endurance
Improved blood flow, oxygenation, proprioception (increased awareness of the position and movement of the body), decreased muscle oscillation (the muscle vibrations caused by movement) and more all help increase strength, power and endurance.
WHY SKINS?
Not all Compression Sportswear is made the same. When we talk about specific benefits, we are talking explicitly about SKINS Compression Sportswear. We’re able to claim these benefits thanks to the independent peer-reviewed research carried out with SKINS Compression Garments.
We’re not about to give you all of our secrets, but several different factors keep us at the forefront of Compression Sportswear, including but not limited to:
Complex graduated panelling
Our garments are made to put the correct amount of pressure on in the right places to aid the natural performance and recovery of the body.
Warp knit fabric
The fabric we use is only available to SKINS. Compared to competitor’s fabrics, ours provides a much stronger tension. It’s so strong it doesn’t lose compression levels if there is any damage from a fall, for example.
WHO ARE SKINS FOR?
Whatever your sport and your level, SKINS can help. Different people use our garments for various reasons. Many athletes only use our recovery garments (yes, there’s a difference); some only use our Arm Sleeves, and others eat, sleep, wear SKINS and repeat. Finding suitable SKINS for you depends on what you need them for, how many times a week you train, what sport you do, and how you want to look and feel. It depends on how comfortable you are wearing such tight clothing. If you hadn’t gathered by now, SKINS are TIGHT, and they’re supposed to be.
We find that those who are new to Compression Sportswear/SKINS start with our smaller garments such as performance socks, Arm Sleeves, and Calf Tights, then move onto our Half tights, Long Tights and Tops.
As a general guide, when it comes to our New SERIES Ranges, we suggest the following:
SERIES-5 is for people who train 5+ times a week and play sports with explosive movements, i.e. Jumping, NFL, Sprinting, Rugby. It offers our highest level of compression and is generally for people who are used to wearing Compression Sportswear.
SERIES-3 is our all-rounder range. It has a medium compression profile, perfect for people who train approximately three times a week in anything over 1,500m and then stop off at the supermarket or grab a coffee. It’s versatile and our most popular range.
SERIES-1 is our entry-level compression. It’s an ideal introduction to Compression Sportswear, and it’s very popular amongst teams for training and game-play because it comes in team colours. As well as that, in the UK, EU and AU, it’s available for young athletes.
We know Compression Sportswear can be a little daunting, so we’ve tried our best to arm you with all information you need to make an informed decision. For more, check out our FAQs.
