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Except when it comes to clothing.

Debate has raged for years about the advantages and drawbacks of form-fitting athletic wear. But as more and more scientific studies are done it seems tight is in.

Form-fitting gear helps support muscles which gives an advantage in endurance sports — it may seem slight but a second per kilometre faster pace in a marathon can add up to a personal best.

And in shorter sprints the tighter the clothing, the less wind resistance — and in such events its fractions of a second which can place people on the podium.

Of course, form-fitting can go to extremes — just ask the U.S. relay team which lost out on Olympic gold because their stretch suits also covered their ears and they couldn’t hear each other when passing the baton. Oops.

The biggest drawback for us mere mortals has always been dealing with the heat which was why early “skin suits” were aimed primarily at strength and speed rather than endurance sports.

But manufacturers have come a long way and now endurance events are also on their radar.

One of the latest companies to try and make its mark in Canada is Zensah, which has some fantastic form-fitting athletic gear.

The company has gained a sizeable foothold against the big boys in the U.S. and now is looking north of the border.

Its seamless compression shirts are in a class of their own for form and function.

The fabric contains silver threads which help smooth out body temperature gyrations and, alongside the moisture-wicking properties, makes the gear breathable and cool.

The Israeli company first designed wear for that country’s special forces — an occupation guaranteed to make you sweat more than a little.

Now that Zensah has moved more mainstream their clothing could indeed be the perfect second skin so long sought by athletes of all stripes.

One word of advice, however.

The shirts feel great and do what they are supposed to do — but they are form-fitting which is fine for gym-induced, 20-year-old torsos. Not quite so attractive on your average 50-year-old.

http://www.calgarysun.com/cgi-bin/publish.cgi?p=143558&x=articles&s=lifestyle

Discretion suggests wearing the shirts as a base layer in such cases.