Thermoactive vs. cotton shirts - what to wear for training?
To feel comfortable during training, you need properly selected clothing. A very important element of sports attire is a thermoactive shirt. It should be a comfortable model, which does not restrict freedom of movement and effectively wicks away moisture. An ill-fitting sports jersey, made of the wrong material, can excessively store moisture, stick to the body, irritate and impede exercise.
Gym, fitness, running or cycling. These are just a few examples of activities, the practice of which allows us to take care of fitness and a healthy body. We can train in many different ways. Some exercises are peaceful in nature and do not require our body to go into higher gear. Others will cause sweat to pour from us in streams. The latter include various cardio-type exercises designed to burn body fat. It is this type of activity that places the greatest demands on the clothing used during workouts.
Sports shirt - natural or synthetic?
Store offers are overflowing with sports shirts and jerseys. However, it is worth knowing that not every shirt that has the term “sports” in its name will be suitable for training. The most important element of a sports shirt, which we should pay attention to when shopping, is the type of material used.
Shirts made of natural cotton are breathable and pleasant to the touch. However, they tend to store moisture, which we produce a lot of during training. As a result, a cotton shirt quickly becomes damp, heavy and sticky to the body, causing discomfort. A thermoactive shirt made of synthetic material, on the other hand, can quickly wick sweat away from the skin to the outside of the material, from where it can evaporate freely. As a result, synthetic functional shirts dry very quickly. Models made of good synthetic materials can dry in a few minutes of rest.
Functional shirt, meaning what?
Under the term functional shirt or thermoactive shirt, the most common are models made of synthetic blends. As a rule, these are polyester, polyamide and elastane. Polyester and polyamide are responsible for wicking away sweat and quick drying of the fabric. It makes the material comfortable and stretchy.
Functional shirts often have additional elements to support and enhance the comfort of training. Solutions that can be found in good sports shirts are, for example:
- mesh panels to help cool the skin,
- anti-odor technology to slow the formation of odor,
- reflective elements to increase safety for evening activities,
- UV filter to protect skin from the sun's rays.
We can often find mesh panels in summer thermoactive shirts dedicated to intense activities such as running. The panels increase airflow and help cool the skin. Worth a few words of explanation is also the anti-odor technology, which slows down the growth of bacteria and thus the formation of odors. This functionality will be especially useful if you plan to use a functional shirt for several days without washing it, e.g. during a multi-day hike or bikepacking trip.
If you plan to train outdoors after dark, it's a good idea for your functional shirt to have reflective elements. They won't replace a good flashlight or bicycle lamp, but they will increase your visibility and, at the same time, the safety of your evening activities. If you have skin sensitive to the sun, or you know that during your workouts you will be for a long time in places where the sun shines intensely, for example, in the mountains, it's a good idea to opt for a model containing a UV filter, which will stop the sun's harmful rays and protect your skin from burning.
Thermoactive shirt - key features
Many people think that by buying a functional (thermoactive) shirt, they will not sweat during training. However, this is a misconception. If we force the body to exert itself, sweating is natural and desirable, because this is how the body cools the skin. The task of a good men's or women's thermoactive shirt is to wick this moisture away from the skin to the outside of the material. As a result, the shirt does not get soaked, does not stick to the body and dries faster.
Another important issue to pay attention to when choosing a sports jersey is the type and location of the seams. Models equipped with thick seams can abrade the skin. So, it is best to opt for ones equipped with flat, elastic seams. In general, we can adopt the rule that the fewer seams a jersey has, the better.
The most important features that a functional shirt should have:
- breathable, effective moisture-wicking fabric,
- comfortable cut that does not restrict freedom of movement,
- stretchy fabric that adapts well to the figure,
- flat seams in the smallest possible amount.
Compression shirts
Developers of sportswear strive to design comfortable and breathable thermoactive shirts for a highly comfortable workout. Some manufacturers, however, go a step further, designing clothing that not only provides comfort, but also helps you perform better. An example of this type of thing is compression clothing.
Men's and women's thermoactive shirts equipped with compression properties are clothing for people who are not ashamed of their bodies. This is because such models adhere much more than traditional sports shirts. Compression improves blood flow and increases the amount of oxygen in the tissues. As a result, muscles can work at high speed for longer. Functional compression shirts also have the advantage of minimizing the shock and vibration that our muscles feel during movement. This translates into less fatigue for them.
An important feature of compression clothing is also to reduce the time needed for muscle recovery. This is possible because muscle compression facilitates the drainage of lactic acid from the muscles. Compression sports shirts are often used by road cyclists. Compression helps them deal with back pain after a long ride. Compression shirts are also used by runners to reduce fatigue in the abdominal, back and shoulder girdle muscles.
Thermoactive or cotton shirt - which one to take for training?
It is accepted that clothing made from natural fabrics is superior to those made from synthetics. However, the synthetics produced today are of very good quality and are superior to natural fabrics in many aspects. An excellent example of this is precisely the men's and the women's thermoactive shirt. The advantage of synthetic fabrics over natural ones is, first of all, much better moisture wicking and the absence of the effect of soaking the material with sweat. As a result, a functional shirt made of thermoactive material provides a much more comfortable workout than a cotton shirt.
In the offer of MILITARY.EU you will find a very wide selection of functional shirts. We offer models for various activities, for example, for the gym, running or cycling. It is worth mentioning that you will be able to take this type of shirt not only for training. They are lightweight and comfortable, so they will be great for mountain trekking or a trip to the woods.
In addition to thermoactive shirts, you can also find other clothing for athletes in our offer. In particular, we recommend sports jerseys, workout shorts and pants, sports underwear and various accessories. In the training and sports category, you will also find nutrients and supplements, as well as exercise equipment such as dumbbells, bars, kettlebells, pull-up bars, exercise mats and many other products to help you strengthen your muscles and take care of your body.