If you’ve shopped for athletic clothing recently, you’ve probably seen the flood of sweat wicking clothes that have invaded the market. Options like moisture management leggings and tops seem like a great way to have a more pleasant workout session, but can you rely on them to do what they say they will?
How do Sweat Wicking Clothes Work?
Before sweat wicking clothes were developed, many people worked out in cotton outfits. But cotton tends to absorb and hold moisture, leaving clothes heavy, damp and cold after workouts. Moisture wicking clothes either repel or expel liquid using two different factors: water repulsion and capillary action.
Capillary action pulls moisture and sweat away from the body and spreads it throughout the material of your leggings or shirts. All sweat wicking clothes use some form of capillary action, though they may use different methods for repulsing the water. Often capillary action diverts the moisture to less moist areas of the clothing until the moisture reaches a certain threshold, at which point the clothing will start to get damp.
Exercising outside can raise that moisture threshold, and so can the fabric the clothing is made of. Material is often coated or woven with moisture repellent like microfiber or polyester that causes moisture to bead up on the fabric, making it more likely to evaporate away.
Is Sweat Wicking Clothing Effective?
It usually depends on the quality of the product. Some moisture management clothes will work much better than others, depending on what methods they combine and how carefully the product was manufactured. You should read reviews to find out what products really work as advertised. Some work best in different situations as well. Some are designed to keep you cool, while others will keep you warm or protect you from the elements.
Choose your clothing carefully and you should be able to find a great moisture wicking outfit for your workout needs. Read more articles like this.
