Athletic Wear for Injury Prevention - Reducing Soft Tissue Injuries with Infrared Muscle Priming
Steve Hoyles
In elite sport, every session has the potential to push the body to its limits. It means soft tissue injuries such as strains, sprains, and tears in muscles, tendons, and ligaments remain a persistent threat.
These injuries sideline athletes and erode hard-earned progress and confidence. They
impact team success, and they place extra demands on the fewer available players.
Sportswear embedded with far-infrared (FIR) technology offers a proactive solution:
infrared muscle priming.
By harnessing the body's own wasted energy to emit therapeutic FIR rays back into
the tissues, this innovative technology preconditions muscles, enhances circulation,
up regulates nitric oxide production and slashes injury risk, all without interrupting your training flow.
At KYMIRA, our FIR-infused garments are designed for athletes who demand more from their kit. In this post, we'll explore the science around infrared muscle priming, its role in boosting nitric oxide production, and how it improves blood flow and tissue elasticity, delivering broader benefits for soft tissue injury resistance.
Backed by clinical research and real-world endorsements from top-tier teams like
England Rugby, it's time to rethink how your athletic wear can safeguard your performance.
What is Infrared Muscle Priming?
Infrared muscle priming refers to the pre-emptive conditioning of soft tissues through
passive FIR exposure.
Unlike traditional warm-up tools like massage guns, KYMIRA garments emit the infrared waves (typically 4–14 micrometres in wavelength). These waves penetrate up to
5cm into the skin, interacting with cells to stimulate nitric oxide production.
The increase in nitric oxide production subsequently increases vasodilation, leading
to an increase in tissue warmth, elasticity and range of movement.
Worn during warm-ups, training, or even daily activities, this technology creates a
'pre-loaded' state where muscles are more pliant and vascularised, ready to handle eccentric loads that often trigger injuries. This is different from massage guns, where research shows that performance can be impacted following their use [1].
The Science: Nitric Oxide, Blood Flow, and Tissue Elasticity
At the cellular level, FIR's magic lies in its ability to trigger nitric oxide (NO) production. This is a potent signalling molecule that acts as a natural vasodilator and anti-inflammatory agent.
It manages this process by relaxing the vascular smooth muscle, widening blood
vessels, and enhancing endothelial function, creating a cascade of protective effects [2].
Boosting Nitric Oxide Production
Clinical evidence confirms that FIR-emitting garments elevate NO levels [3], fostering a
more resilient musculoskeletal system.
A landmark review on FIR's biological effects highlights how ceramic-embedded fabrics, like those in KYMIRA products, promote NO release in vascular tissues, improving oxygen delivery and reducing oxidative stress [4].
Further studies on NO's role in tissue repair show it stimulates elastin expression in smooth muscle cells, directly linking FIR-induced NO to enhanced structural integrity. In practical terms, this means athletes experience less rigidity in connective tissues, lowering the strain during explosive movements.
Enhancing Blood Flow
Improved circulation is FIR's cornerstone benefit for injury prevention. Peer-reviewed
trials demonstrate that FIR shirts increase transcutaneous oxygen pressure (tcPO2) (a marker of blood flow) by 5–8% within 30–90 minutes of wear [5].
Improving Tissue Elasticity
FIR use also bolsters tissue elasticity, making muscles and tendons more compliant under load.
A study on FIR ceramics in sports recovery notes enhanced muscle relaxation and
elasticity, attributing it to thermal modulation of collagen fibres. KYMIRA's own pre-publication research from Loughborough University echoes this, revealing amplified angiogenic signalling (key for elastic tissue adaptation) after high-intensity sessions [6].
Broader Benefits: Halving Soft Tissue Injury Risk
Beyond NO, blood flow, and elasticity, FIR muscle priming offers multifaceted
protection against soft tissue injuries.
Several clinical trials consistently show reduced delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) and faster neuromuscular recovery, critical for preventing overuse strains.
These benefits compound: athletes tolerate 20–30% higher training volumes with FIR
priming, per KYMIRA's clinical insights, without spiking injury rates.
Real-World Impact: Endorsed by England Rugby
Scientific research aside, there needs to be an applicable benefit to a real-world setting
before the technology can be adopted at scale.
Bob Stewart, Head of Medical for England Rugby, has integrated KYMIRA FIR products
into their regimen with transformative results. Bob says…
“Introducing KYMIRA infrared products has allowed us to achieve much higher training loads while also reducing the risk of injury occurrence. The squad have been very,
very positive in their feedback using the kit."
Bob told us that the impact on soft tissue resilience has been profound, enabling
the squad to maintain intensity through gruelling schedules. The coaches can
confidently increase training volumes, confident that the injury risk is low and the recovery rates are high.
Worn during sessions and recovery, KYMIRA's leggings, tops, and base layers provide seamless priming, keeping England's athletes in the 'peak performance zone', as
evidenced by fewer soft tissue setbacks in recent campaigns.
Priming for Prevention: How KYMIRA Fits In
KYMIRA's athletic wear makes pre-activity muscle priming easy. Our bio-responsive
fabrics emit FIR continuously during wear, ideal for pre-training warm-ups or post-session wind-downs.
Whether you're a weekend warrior or professional, incorporating FIR garments has
profound and immediate benefits - elevated nitric oxide levels for optimised blood flow, leading to improved tissue health and injury resistance.
Explore our range of sporting apparel for before, during and after training. You’ll
discover infrared isn't just recovery, it's injury prevention redefined.
Final Thoughts: Gear Up for Resilience
Soft tissue injuries don't have to be an inevitable part of athletic life. With infrared muscle priming, you can prime your body for what's ahead, backed by robust science on blood flow, elasticity, and soft tissue injury mitigation.
References
[1] https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10532323/
[2] https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2932548/
[3] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23756809/
[4] https://www.ceramic-science.com/articles/all-articles.html?article_id=100825
