CW-X Conditioning Wear® is one of the first (if not the first) companies to focus specifically on reducing the muscle fatigue that handicap athletes in the later stages of endurance competition. More and more frequently, elite and non-elite athletes alike have come to rely on techniques used by certified athletic trainers to support injured muscles called kinesiology taping, asserting that the supportive tape makes a significant difference in the late stages of competition. The taping supports specific muscles and assists them to function properly. To compete with the rise in popularity of kinesiology taping, CW-X created athletic apparel with their patented Conditioning Web™. The Conditioning Web™ provides support to key areas, decrease the changes in muscle performance and focus power so muscles work more efficiently. CW-X states that the Conditioning Web™ “acts as an exoskeleton to provide extra core support, stabilizes the knee, supports the quadriceps muscles, improves movement efficiency and precision, engages hamstrings and calf muscles and reduces muscle fatigue”[1]. That’s a lot for a product to promise and with a great amount of skepticism I donned my Stabilyx™ tights for a run.The Stabilyx™ tights are specifically created to provide support to the low back, core area, knee joint and surrounding muscles for greater stability and power. Following the instructions on the package I put the tights on similar to nylons, bringing each leg to the knee, ensuring that everything lined up correctly and my kneecaps were just above the x-shaped part, which is somewhat labor intensive given the snug fit. Once the tights were pulled up to my waist and secured there I noticed a distinct resemblance to a super-hero, and was only moderately disappointed that the tights come with super human powers too. Immediately I understood why the snug fit was so important, as I could feel the compression that the tights offered and how the proper fit was essential to the function of the Conditioning Web™. Once fully ready, I headed out for the real product evaluation and at the end I was pleasantly surprised by the results.Unfortunately, the tights didn’t turn me into a Boston qualifier; they did however live up to their promise of support and decreased muscle fatigue. My grumpy ITB wasn’t nearly as mad at me as it usually was and I definitely found that I wasn’t walking around with leaden legs afterwards. Nor did I have the stiff low back that I frequently encounter the day after long runs. Quite happily I continued to train through the season with the tights and found that like all things created with Lycra, the tights began to loose their snugness and compression after continued wash and wear, which was to be expected. Given that the technology behind the tights are what you’re paying for, it is not surprising that the tights come with a substantial price tag ($145.99). I have found in past that quality comes at a cost, and these tights are no different. If you can swallow the price, it’s well worthwhile and your muscles will be all the happier for it.
[1] http://cw-x.com/GearTechnology.aspx
