WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF
As we develop new materials, and find new ways to use them for our benefit, one day in the future we’ll suddenly discover that clothes can do much more than clothe us.
Could the right clothes, in this case pyjamas, help athletes, and the rest of us for that matter, sleep better and recover faster? That’s the bold promise behind Under Armour’s new Athlete Recovery Sleepwear, and it comes hot on the heels of another new invention from the company, who seem to be increasingly going “hi tech” in their quest to push the boundaries of fashion, a new 3D printed sneaker that was designed by an Artificial Intelligence. And if the company continues on as they are, which the likely will, then it’s also likely that soon their new range of clothes will one day become connected wearables, sucking up quantitative information about the health of an individual and thumping it back up into their cloud to be analysed before providing the user with helpful recommendations.
The concept for the performance sleepwear was developed in collaboration with New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, who is sponsored by the brand, who’s been using what’s known as Bio-ceramic treatments for injury prevention and recovery for specific muscles with great success. It’s these treatments that got Under Armour thinking it might be an idea to try to put the same bio-ceramic materials, materials that reflect Far Infrared Radiation (FIR), used in the treatments into a garment so an athletes whole body could benefit from it, and in this case they incorporated it into the patterned lining of a set of pyjamas.
The bio-ceramic material absorbs heat emitted by the body and reflect back FIR, helping reduce inflammation and improve circulation, which, in turn, aids in recovery. The technology also keeps the body from overheating while you sleep.
Tom Brady models the new tech, in bed
“I firmly believe that sleep and recovery are critical aspects of an effective and holistic training program,” said Tom Brady in a statement, “proper sleep has helped me get to where I am today as an athlete. It is something that I continue to rely on every day and I am excited to partner with Under Armour to bring game changing sleepwear with the same bio-ceramics technology I use to athletes all around the world.”
Besides having Brady’s stamp of approval, the sleepwear is worn by other Under Armour athletes, such as NBA star Steph Curry and golfer Jordan Speith. The fabric of the sleepwear is super soft and the silhouettes are stylish while the jogger pants look fashionable enough to wear outside. The pyjama tops also come in tank, short sleeve, and long sleeve, while the bottoms include shorts and pants, however, naturally, Under Armour notes that the more coverage you wear, the better your recovery will be.
One drawback though is that it is still pricey to sleep like a Super Bowl winning quarterback. The tops range from $70 to $100 and bottoms range from $60 to $100. However, the health benefits of FIR are backed by independent research from the National Institutes of Health and more importantly consumers seem to love them, with overwhelmingly positive reviews. So if it works for Tom Brady, maybe there is a chance this sleepwear could help you quickly recover from your next tough run.
