Tone up with compression clothes

Fitness expert Leena Mogre and Anil Ambani make a case for tight workout clothes

Aloose T-shirt paired with comfortable track pants or a tight workout top with skin-hugging slacks? What would you opt for when hitting the gym, jogging or cycling to stay fit? If loose clothes are your choice, you might just have to work harder - and longer - to get in shape. And you might also be more sore and fatigued than those who opt for a tight fitting outfit.

A recent study by researchers at the Institute for Exercise and Environmental Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, indicates that compression clothes - form-fitting garments that provide support to the body - improve a person's workout.

Among the fitness enthusiasts who have been spotted in compression wear is industrialist Anil Ambani. Making a case for tight workout clothes, Ambani's one-time fitness instructor, Mumbai-based Leena Mogre, the director of Leena Mogre's Fitness, says, "Sweat gets better absorbed by fitting clothes than in loose ones. Besides, loose clothing should never be worn while working out because there is a chance of them getting entangled in the machines, especially in motorised equipment like treadmills."

But that's just the basic. Tight workout leggings, shorts and even tight workout tops help in preventing injury to the muscles and also prevent the build-up of lactic acid, says Mogre. "This allows for a more rapid return to normal levels and minimises the occurrence of delayed onset muscle soreness. Hence, recovery is faster."

Anil Ambani make a case for tight workout clothes

Compression clothes are also said to hold the muscles better through impact and power moves. In fact, they are manufactured with this very idea. Citing the brand SKINS compression clothing, Mogre says, "These help provide the right compression level and support muscle groups through their full-range of movement - increasing your power and endurance even more."

Studies, recent and past, also indicate that these special clothes allow better use of oxygen in the muscles, increase blood circulation and reduce fatigue, which is the reason why a lot of people have started wearing these during their workouts as well as while playing sports, whether it is badminton, tennis, cricket or even football. Compressed as they are, they squeeze the muscles, thus practically massaging the areas left sore or fatigued after the exercise and thus, help flush out the unwanted biochemicals that might have accumulated.

Given the Indian weather, which can get uncomfortably warm, there is the matter of the fabric used in form-fitting outfits (like spandex and lycra) that while lightweight and stretchable is also synthetic. Will it not stick to the skin and prevent breathing? Mogre dismisses these concerns. "Though synthetic, a lot of research has been done by these companies while launching such products," she says. They are made to suit workouts - light or intense.

Several sportswear brands like SKINS and Nike offer compression clothes (range starts from Rs 800), but instructors say you should go for what suits your body and skin best.