i wonder

I WONDERED ABOUT THIS WHEN I SEE TV ADS FOR COMPRESSION WITH COPPER TIGHTS

Study casts doubt on benefits of compression tights

A study carried out by the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Centre has found that compression tights do not reduce muscle fatigue.

The research, which was supported by a grant from sportswear manufacturer Nike, revealed that while wearing compression tights greatly reduces the amount the wearer’s muscles vibrate, they don’t have an impact on the level of muscle fatigue compared to running without tights.

Participants in the study were asked to run on a treadmill for 30 minutes at 80% of their maximum speed on two different days, once with compression tights and once without them. The researchers used motion capture technology to closely track each runner’s body position during their sessions. They also tested the participants’ leg strength and jump height before and after each run.

Even though the results call into question the benefits of wearing compression tights when it comes to reducing fatigue in runners, there may be other benefits, explained Ajit Chaudhari, who led the study. He argued that the psychological benefit some runners gain from wearing them is reason enough to continue to use them.

“There is nothing in this study that shows it’s bad to wear compression tights,” he said. “Every little bit of perception counts when running long distances, so they may help runners in ways we aren’t able to measure.”

It is worth noting that the participants in the study ran for only 30 minutes during each session, far less than the average time spent when competing or training in endurance sports, a market in which compression clothing has flourished.

The Wexner Medical Centre will carry out additional research that focuses on other aspects of compression tights and the possible benefits to runners in terms of performance and workout recovery.

Reading that the researchers found wearing loose fitting clothing worked batter was not a surprise to me. The close fitted garments hold the moisture against the skin surface which obviously is detrimental. This all fits the category of “ventilating” the body so it can work better. I suppose if one is nude during the warm weather their body would function quite well since all of the skin surface allows all of its pores to emit moisture easily, and the skin itself will be giving off its heat again without an restriction of any fabric covering it.

HOW ABOUT COOLING TEXTILES USED TO MAKE GARMENTS THAT WILL COOL YOU

Hohenstein research examines performance of cooling textiles

Research and testing body the Hohenstein Institute has devised a new method for measuring the cooling performance of textiles.
The organisation said it has been created in response to a need in the textile industry for a way of evaluating the cooling performance of textiles. To measure the quality of the cooling process, the system needs to be able to assess factors like temperature range, duration and the impact on the heat/humidity balance of the wearer, it said.

Hohenstein used its heat release tester, WATson to devise the new evaluation system. Its aim was for the system to compare the results of the WATson heat loss tester with data from experiments on subjects in a climate chamber under different ambient conditions.

The research progressed as follows:
•Measuring the performance of cooling textiles using WATson
•Carrying out monitored wearer trials in a climate chamber to examine different cooling textiles in a variety of ambient conditions (e.g. temperature, humidity, wind)
•Examining the cooling effect of textiles on different parts of the body
•Examining the cooling effect of textiles with different levels of physical exertion

Hohenstein explained that after analysing the data from the various research stages, its intention is to “provide the industry with an efficient thermophysiological system for the evaluation of cooling textiles”. Is there such a word as thermophysiological?

I think it is high time that the Hohenstein Institute learn and understand that no synthetic textile material can cool the human body and that is especially true when the textile product is made from synthetic material such as nylon or polyester. All synthetic material reacts very quickly to temperature change. Here I am very well versed, since the lining fabric I use for my sleeping bags is nylon for a very good reason. Nylon and polyester react the same when subjected to temperature change. When people get into a Wiggy’s sleeping bag they feel the temperature of the nylon being colder than their skin temperature in a matter of a minute or so they start to feel warm. Why (?) because the nylon is quickly absorbing the heat from their skin surface.

Once the nylon or any synthetic absorbs enough heat to be equal to skin surface temperature it stops absorbing the heat until it loses some of the heat and then it absorbs more till it is equal again. On a hot day the process is very slow since there is almost no heat loss.

Cotton never reaches the same temperature as your skin surface so it just keeps on absorbing causing you to cool and of course since the cotton also absorbs moisture i.e. your sweat that moisture also acts to cool your body.

WATson reminds me of the character Wilson in the movie Castaway. Imagine the conversation between the two of them.

Last night I received the following e mail. To say it made my evening better is an understatement.

Dear Wiggys,

My fishing buddies and I planned a 3 night camping trip to our favorite trophy trout lakes near Walden, CO that happened to coincide with our recent 3rd week in May Mother's Day blizzard. I knew the weather would be bad and boy was I right. I pitched my tent on two inches of new snow, working as quickly as possible as more snow began falling. Fortunately, I brought my new Wiggys +20 degree bag and a matching +35 degree over bag in matching Marpat camo, which I was excited to try. The weather the first two days was cold and damp with wind driven snow and some freezing rain at times. The low temperatures at night were probably around 20 degrees with very high humidity for Colorado and intermittent wind driven snow. The second night I had significant condensation inside my tent and everything inside had a slight dampness from all the moisture in the air. I was perfectly positioned for sheer camping night misery.

It was so cold the first night I had to deploy the over bag over my air mattress but found it was too warm to zip all the way up over the +20 degree bag. Wow, do your sleeping bags ever work as advertised. I stayed warm and dry without having to really cinch up the hood. I slept like a baby though some very inclement winter weather in late May. The second night might have been even colder and certainly more humid. Same things, slept great, stayed warm and dry all night. The third night the weather improved and I slept with the +20 bag a bit unzipped. My Sierra Designs +15 degree synthetic bag would have been a joke in these conditions. I would have frozen my you know what off in that bag. They say it is rated for +15 degrees but it maybe works to around freezing, kind of.

I love my new American made Wiggys sleeping bags! Thanks for manufacturing your superior products in the good old USA. Wiggys sleeping bags work in the real world as advertised!

I saw in your blog you may make ski jackets. I will be keeping an eye out for them this fall. I hope a Ducksback, Lamilite-insulated, American-made ski jacket is in my future.

Thanks!

Bill

Longmont, CO

P.S. The fishing was really good and we caught lots of fish including a couple big ones.

My recommendation to Bill for a ski outfit is the fishnet top, wind shirt over it and the DUCKSBACK pullover as the outer layer. You will be good to about -20 F. any colder sit in the bar and have another beer.

This morning I had an e mail for a customer who watches the ALONE show and he wrote that one contestant had a Wiggy’s bag. Since this time around the show has pairs I suspect the partner also had a Wiggy’s bag. I believe that more of the contestants are using Wiggy’s bags since the fellow from I believe Michigan who won fell into the ocean and when he got out he got into his sleeping bag a Wiggy’s Super Light. I believe it saved his life. Maybe the show management will suggest to the contestants that Wiggy’s should be the bag they use. Of course if I dressed them as well they would all be more comfortable and more people would last longer in the competition.