Thermoregulation is the human body's unique ability to avoid overheating or freezing. In summer, our body cools to the optimal temperature through sweating, while in winter it limits heat loss to the environment to avoid freezing. Through this biological process, the human body ensures the optimal course of chemical and vital processes.
Most professional athletes know how important heat is for joints and muscles. It is not uncommon to see professional athletes rushing to put on warm sportswear during a break, before or after a competition. Why? When muscles are in action they expend energy, becoming more flexible and soft. When they stop working, on the other hand, they begin to cool and shorten within minutes. Warm, flexible muscles protect joints from overloading, and the muscle itself becomes less vulnerable and more resistant to injury. When muscles are cold, the risk of injury and overloading increases dramatically, which can lead to muscle tears or joint damage.
Simple exercise suits are sufficient to keep muscles relatively warm, but heat-retaining suits are far more effective. In fact, heat-retaining suits retain body heat twice as long as regular suits. Because of this, the cooling process of muscles is slower, and athletes can train longer and more effectively. Due to minimal heat loss, this type of suit helps muscles and joints warm up faster during warm-up. At the same time, tissues take less time to become elastic, so the risk of injury is minimal. In addition, due to improved blood circulation, muscles receive oxygen and nutrients for a longer period of time, and this allows for better results in sports.
I have the opportunity to work with many professional athletes and have seen a wide range of sports injuries. After some research, I noticed together with my patients that the use of heat-retaining suits, even during physiotherapy, helped them heal faster and shorten the rehabilitation period, allowing them to resume daily activities more quickly and achieve new sports goals.
Paulius Uknevicius
Physiotherapist
Beyond Physio
