Weekend Update: CW-X PreformX Tights

After my post on Nike's recovery hypertight it kinda got me thinking about compression and recovery and the validity of what's out there in the market right now. Now that I know a little more about what actually happens to my muscles after a work out, (edema... lactic acid build up) I have a different curiosity for what those products are trying to achieve. I hesitate to call this a "trend" in performance wear because it isn't. The idea and science behind compression-wear has been around and those who focus on it do it well. Perhaps it's more fitting to say that the market is expanding into more categories...ish...socks, calf sleeves, sport bras? (mmm That feels like kind of a stretch) but I can say that more and more brands are tag-lining their products as "compression" which I feel is watering down the actual meaning of it.

I just started running again after a few months hiatus... yes I know its cold and yes I did have to walk through icy snow to actually GET to the park, much to the amusement of some sanitation workers, but I'm feeling it right now so I'm going to go for it. I also play soccer most Sundays and that adds up to a lot of running pour le gambes. It doesn't help that I am terrible at stretching properly. Come Monday my muscles are super tight and achy. So I said, you know what... imma treat myself. I didn't want to break the bank and I'm also not planning on training for a marathon anytime soon so I wanted something reasonable but still legit. I did a little research, mostly price driven, stumbled upon CW-X's Preform-X Tights, did a little reading, live the aesthetic, $74.95, SOLD. I bought my tights at Paragon, my favorite sports mecca, but they are widely available online and you can shop around for a more competitive price. I'm impatient and I want it now. When I spoke with the girl at Paragon she kept stressing that the compression tape actually helps to align your body while you run and keep it that way so that your muscles preform how they should, ideally giving you a more powerful and balanced stride while simultaneously reducing muscle fatigue for a faster recovery.

Very simply put, CW-X, (Conditioning Performance Wear) is part of the Wacoal Cooperation. Wacoal Corp., based in Japan, has been one of the leading and most reputable intimate apparel brands in the market for almost 40 years, creating designs based on a throughout understanding of the human body and access to an impressive library of textiles. In 1991 they decided to break into the performance apparel industry using the same dedication and introduced CW-X to the Japanese market. The research team in Kyoto spent many years studying, analyzing, and understanding what happens to muscles and joints during injuries. They then decided to introduce it to the US market and created the Wacoal Sport Science Cooperation based right here in NYC, (yey!). SO, CW-X is a brand under the Wacoal Corp. subsidiary Wacoal Sports Science Cooperation. Yes? Yes. CW-X boasts to be the world's "first truly anatomically-engineered high performance sports apparel" with 50 patents worldwide and serving a wide-range of activities, from running to skiing. Sounds pretty legit to me.
The science behind CW-X is based on kinesiology a.k.a the science of human movement. Remember the kinesio tape that was all over the 2012 Summer Olympics? Well CW-X developed their now patented CW-X Support Web Technology based around kinesiology-taping. So the placement of the compression tape is specifically placed to be most effective on specific muscle groups, problematic joints, and overall provides a supportive exo-skeletal to make sure your body preforms at its best.

So I took them out for a spin last weekend, semi skeptical, semi excited. They have met my expectations and I haven't stopped talking about them since - ask my friends.  Yes, I felt a difference in the overall alignment of my stride. Yes, my muscles felt different. Yes, my muscles recovered and felt fresher faster, (I also wore them for 1 hour after my run). I ran more evenly and even longer...like almost 1/2 a mile longer. I am very curious to see how I continue to preform the more I wear them. Fit-wise, I liked that they are high-waisted. Mine went all the way up to my natural waist and they stayed put without my having to tie the drawstring too tight. I bought a size medium. I usually wear a small in running tights but since these are compression tights I assumed to go up a size and boy was I lucky... not only did I NOT try them on, but I also didn't consult the very handy size chart, (height + weight) they provide with their hangtag. Please review the size chart they provide to make sure you buy the correct size. I happen to fit right in the grey area between a small and a medium but I'm happy I went with the medium. 
Dare I ask, why would you wear anything else? I like to people-watch while I run. I like to see what and how people are wearing and all I kept thinking was "these are helping my body preform better not only during my immediate movement but hypothetically also protect the longevity of my muscles - why isn't everyone wearing these?" At this moment I kinda don't want to wear anything else. This weekend I picked up the thermal version of the tights, the Insulator Perfx Tight but I decided not to run due to the weather because I have my limits, but I can't wait! I should mention that post-run, when I was heading home I did get a little chilly so I would advise not to wear them in 30F weather - get the thermal ones. But what I really have my eyes on is their Revolution Tights. Although they don't list them under "recovery" on their site that is what I would wear them for since the compression construction is lighter and covers more area, and they have starts all over them. It's on my xmas list Santa.

Behold the beauty of this graphic.