AVEC BODYFIT
Football base layers and thermal sports wear
The training session and football season doesn’t come to an end simply because of a bit of cold weather, however performance can really be affected when the weather turns. Adding some extra layers to your football or training kit could even be the difference between winning or losing on match day. However, not every player is aware of the benefits that come with wearing base layers, compression gear or thermals. In this guide to what to wear to stay warm on the pitch and enhance football performance, we detail the key advantages that these garments can add to your game.
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What is compression clothing?
Compression clothing is often very tight-fitted sports clothing made from polyester and elastane. This gives the material a stretchy, breathable quality whilst still being very fitted to the body to provide support. Compression sportswear is designed to increase blood and lymphatic flow to the limbs, as this is thought to aid performance and promote recovery in muscles and bones that have been subject to strain during exercise.
Studies have shown that quality compression layers can increase oxygen uptake to the muscle areas covered, which improves the efficiency of a warm-up and in-turn can prevent injury to a greater level than if not worn. Compression clothing also has many benefits to sports performance, including wicking sweat away, helping you to stay warm and dry while exercising outdoors in cold and rainy weather, as well as offering flexibility and breath-ability for a wide range of movement
Improve blood flow & encourage oxygen intake
During exercise, your body can begin to fatigue and have to work harder to pump blood and this produces lactic acid build-up, which is what causes muscle pain during exercise. A compression base layer can help to improve the flow of blood through your body by encouraging oxygen intake as the compression ‘opens up’ the chest, making it easier to breathe and in turn reducing lactic acid production.
As compression wear is designed to be tight around the body’s extremities, it naturally keeps the body warmer and speeds the process of blood flowing back to the heart, meaning you can exercise more comfortably for longer periods of time.
Muscle compression
As discussed above, lactic acid build-up is what causes a burning pain sensation when the muscles are being worked during exercise. Compressing and supporting your muscles can prevent pain and cramping, enhancing performance by ensuring you can work harder for longer.
As our muscles rotate during exercise, they can quickly become damaged as energy is exerted. By adding a compression layer to your kit, muscle movement during exercise is limited, which ensures your muscles aren’t forced into unnatural positions, preventing injury.
Sweat and moisture wicking
It goes without saying that when we exercise, we sweat. Wearing sports clothing that absorbs sweat can inhibit performance by causing you to feel hot and uncomfortable while exercising or to become too cold between bouts of sprinting or when substituted. A quality base layer is naturally breathable and so will help sweat and moisture to evaporate as it meets the fabric, wicking sweat away from the body.
This also helps during a football match that is played in wet weather, as your kit won’t become waterlogged to weigh you down and instead will help you to stay dry and comfortable.
Aid recovery
Base layers are really useful during exercise, but they have benefits post-football match too.
Because compression tops work to improve blood flow and support the muscles, following exercise they can help remove lactic acid that is built up during exercise, which in-turn helps your muscles to recover quicker. This then helps with flexibility during the next time you take to the pitch.
Lower Base Layers
Lower body base layers are usually shorts or leggings in order to focus on the compression of the upper leg and glutes. Compression shorts or leggings can add an extra layer of protection during sports and support the muscles to prevent cramping and ensure optimum performance in all weathers. Again, these base layers help to improve blood flow, ensuring you’re not slowed down during a game and have the flexibility needed to run far and fast with reduced fatigue during cold winter months.
When choosing your base layer compression shorts, you should opt for a tight fit just slightly smaller than your regular size in shorts or leggings / tight joggers. They should be tight to the skin to support your muscles snugly, but you shouldn’t feel any discomfort when wearing. A good rule to go by is being able to fit a finger’s width into the waistband.
Our range of BodyFIT compression shorts are expertly crafted from 4-way stretch fabric with an elastic waistband for a comfortable but secure fit. Created with a double wall, our BodyFIT base layer shorts will ensure you stay warm and dry during a match in poor weather conditions, but they’re also fitted with our signature vapeurvent technology in the mesh gusset to aid ventilation and breathability and promote flexibility.
Available in a range of colours, tailor your football base layer shorts to your club’s colours and branding at Avec Sport.
The best thermal sportswear and football base layers from Avec
Upper body base layers are most commonly used by footballers, particularly through the winter time. Adding a compression layer to your upper body can help to retain warmth and encourage blood flow to ensure flexibility while out on the pitch. Cold weather can often make us ‘seize up’ and become a little slower, so adding a base layer really helps to prevent this from happening. It also reduces wind chill and helps to keep you dry if it’s raining during a football match or training session.
When choosing a compression base layer top, you should opt for quite a tight fit, as this garment is supposed to work much like a ‘second skin’ to reap the most benefit from it. Because of this, the correct fit is highly important in order to ensure you feel the benefits in your body, as a base layer is designed to hold the body in the optimum position for sports performance, helping posture, muscle range and even oxygen intake.
At Avec Sport, we’ve created a unique collection of upper body compression layers as part of our BodyFIT range. Made from lightweight, breathable materials to ensure ultimate performance while out on the football pitch or during a training session. Made from an expert blend of polyester and elastane, our BodyFit base layer compression tops are quick-drying and feature our signature vapeurvent technology in the back panel to aid ventilation. They’re available in a wide variety of colours to suit your team colours and branding.