Performance sportswear gives psychological as well as physical boost
Science suggests wearing the right gear can lift athletes by making them think it will allow them to go faster, or higher
Hands up if you've experienced that amazing boost in motivation to exercise after buying some new workout gear. Sportswear goes beyond just skin deep; it has a profound effect on our minds, too.
Increasingly, sports apparel companies are becoming aware of this and investing time, money and effort into researching and producing clothing that supports athletes not only physiologically, but also psychologically.
When Nike, for example, developed the Pro TurboSpeed suit - which moves through air faster than bare skin - for the London 2012 Olympics, they sought insight from athletes as to what gives them a mental boost. Nike designers found that patches of contrasting colour made the athletes feel faster, so fluorescent yellow strips were placed on the inside surfaces of the arms and legs of the suit.
At Australian company 2XU, design lines and placements of seams, logos and trims on its renowned compression garments are precisely engineered for maximum freedom of movement and comfort for the wearer.
"Comfort and emotion is critically important," says Dr John Sullivan, a leading sports scientist and one of the top US sports psychologists, who spoke at the 2XU Heart of Performance summit in New York earlier this year. "If an athlete doesn't feel comfortable, then they have one more thing to think about. And in that moment, you want them to focus on what's in front of them."