FGM04 develops technical and cosmetotextile clothing by combining research into materials, comfort, and design. Among the technologies used in many of our garments is FIR far infrared technology, integrated into the yarn to create functional fabrics designed to accompany the body during sports activities and in everyday life.
This technology is present, for example, in many of our push-up leggings and represents one of the aspects that distinguish FGM04 technical clothing from normal sportswear.
But how do FIR fabrics actually work? And above all: What do scientific studies say about their use in sport?
What applications could FIR fabrics be of interest in sports?
FIR fabrics are the subject of research in the sports field for their possible interaction with some processes involved in thermoregulation, in comfort during exercise and in the physiological response to activity and recovery.
It is not a question of attributing to a pair of leggings or a shirt the power to automatically improve performance: the value of FIR technology is more interesting if placed in the context ofadvanced technical clothing, where yarn characteristics, elasticity, breathability, fit and comfort work together.
To better understand the potential of these fabrics, in recent years several research groups have studied FIR garments during physical exercise and in the hours following training.
Scientific Studies on FIR Fabrics: What Does the Research Say?
One of the most comprehensive sources on the topic is the systematic review “Using far infrared-emitting garments for optimizing performance and recovery in sport: Real potential or new fad?”, published in the scientific journal PLOS ONE.
Five scientific databases – PubMed, Cochrane, ScienceDirect, Scopus and SPORTDiscus – were searched by two independent reviewers.
Studies investigating the effects of the clothing that emits FIR on at least one physiological parameter related to physical performance and/or recovery in humans.
The methodological quality of the selected studies was assessed using the Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro) scale.
In total, 11 studies met the inclusion criteria: 6 analyzed the effects of FIR garments during exercise and 5 their use in the post-exercise recovery phase.
The picture that emerged is interesting but not uniform. The authors underline a potential interest of FIR leaders in sport, particularly with regards to thermoregulation and haemodynamic function, but they also highlight the need for further studies before we can attribute certain and generalisable benefits to all garments that use this technology.
This is precisely the most interesting point: FIR technology is not simply a marketing expression, but a textile technology actually studied by scientific researchAt the same time, its possible effects must be evaluated in relation to the type of yarn, the garment used, the duration of use and the sporting context.
What happens when I wear a FIR garment?
Fabrics with FIR technology use functional materials incorporated into the yarn capable of interact with the thermal energy naturally emitted by the body and re-emit some of this energy in the far infrared band.
This doesn't mean the garment needs to produce a strong sensation of heat. FIR technology applied to clothing is, in fact, different from an external heat source, such as an infrared lamp.
The process occurs while the fabric is worn, and it is precisely this characteristic that led researchers to study FIR garments in relation to thermal comfort, the physiological response to exercise and some parameters related to the recovery phase.
Some research conducted on specific FIR fabrics has observed variations in parameters such as peripheral blood flow and tissue oxygenation, while other studies have not detected significant differences. For this reason, it is more correct to speak of a physiological interaction under research rather than a guaranteed improvement in circulation in every person.
FIR and Thermoregulation: Not All Heat is Equal
There thermoregulation It is one of the most interesting aspects studied in relation to FIR clothing.
During physical activity, the body produces heat and implements various mechanisms to disperse it and maintain its temperature within a physiological range.
Some of the studies analyzed in the review found, during exercise, differences in skin temperature response between FIR garments and conventional fabrics. The available data do not yet allow us to speak of an identical effect in all conditions, but they suggest that the interaction between FIR and thermal response deserves particular attention.
It is therefore more correct to speak of possible support for thermo-physiological comfort rather than claiming that FIR fabric automatically cools or heats the body.
Furthermore, in the case of FGM04 garments, FIR technology is combined with different textile constructions to meet different needs: there are fabrics designed to be versatile throughout the year, versions more suited to warm conditions and others designed to help conserve body heat better.
FIR fabrics during training: what are the benefits?
Research on FIR clothing worn during exercise has taken into account several parameters, including oxygen consumption, thermal response, lactate, exercise tolerance, peripheral blood flow and performance.
Some studies have observed favorable results on specific physiological parameters. In particular, certain research on FIR garments has detected interesting signals relating toexercise economy and metabolic response during physical activity.
This doesn't mean that wearing a FIR garment automatically makes you faster, stronger, or more resistant. The available studies use different fabrics, protocols, sports, and participant groups, and not all have achieved the same results.
FIR technology therefore represents above all an interesting evolution of thetechnical sports clothing: a functional yarn that can be chosen together with other characteristics that determine comfort during training, such as softness, elasticity, fit, breathability and freedom of movement.
When a garment is used for weights, fitness, running or dynamic training, feeling comfortable and being able to count on a fabric designed for sports activity can make a real difference in the wearing experience.
FIR Fabrics in Post-Exercise Recovery: How Do They Help the Body?
The potential use of FIR clothing in the hours following exercise is another area that has attracted research interest.
In the systematic review, five studies analyzed the use of FIR garments during recovery. In several protocols, the garments were worn for many hours and, in some cases, even overnight.
The results on the speed of recovery of muscle function However, they are not uniform and do not allow us to affirm that an FIR fabric always accelerates muscle recovery.
Some studies have instead recorded interesting signals on perceived muscle soreness, DOMS, subjective feeling of recovery and some indirect markers, while other research has shown no significant differences compared to control tissues.
For this reason, recovery remains one of the most interesting areas to explore further, but it is preferable to talk about a technology also designed for possible use in the phases following training rather than promising faster muscle recovery.
A practical advantage of FIR clothing is its ease of use: the technology is integrated into the fabric and can therefore accompany your normal sports routine without requiring additional devices.
How to choose the best FGM04 FIR leggings for your workout?
When choosing FIR leggings, yarn technology is important, but it's not the only thing to consider.
Fit, breathability, ambient temperature, training intensity and the desired feel on the skin can orient towards different FIR fabrics.
Most of the FGM04 models are made of versatile FIR fabric, suitable for different seasons, available in plain colour, mélange in the EcoFIR version or with bamboo viscose, as in the case of technology BambooFIR.
For training in cooler conditions, there are garments that, in addition to FIR technology, are designed to help retain body heat with HotFIR technology.
However, when training takes place in high temperatures or when a feeling of greater freshness is sought, the technology CryoFIR combines FIR technology with a particularly breathable fabric, designed to promote heat dissipation.
Choosing a FIR FGM04 garment therefore means going beyond the simple aesthetics of leggings. It means evaluating design, fit, yarn technology and fabric characteristics depending on your training style.
Scientific research will continue to clarify which applications of far infrared are most relevant in sports. What we know today is that FIR fabrics represent a real and studied category of functional fabrics, developed to interact with the body's thermal energy and the subject of research for its relationship with thermo-physiological comfort, exercise response and recovery.
And it is precisely from the meeting between technology, comfort and garment design that is how FIR FGM04 clothing was born: leggings and sportswear designed not only to dress the body, but to accompany it during movement.
FONTE: Utilisation of far infrared-emitting garments for optimising performance and recovery in sport: Real potential or new fad? A systematic review
Bastien Bontemps, Mathieu Gruet, Fabrice Vercruyssen, Julien Louis
English
