Steve Hoyles

In the NFL, recovery plays a huge role in team success. Maintaining a fit and healthy roster gives teams the best possible chance of winning [1], so strength and conditioning teams should be looking for every advantage they can use with their athletes.

Players face brutal physical demands in training and games, so when you add tight schedules, travel time and media demands, efficient recovery becomes essential – there simply isn’t time to allow players several
days off to maximise performance and injury prevention.

KYMIRA's infrared-emitting clothing represents a game-changing shift from traditional recovery methods, offering superior benefits like enhanced circulation and faster healing. The technology has already been adopted by NFL teams in both the NFC and AFC.

Injury Frequency and Reduced Recovery Time

 The NFL’s own data set shows a total of 12,163 injuries were recorded between 2019 and 2023. Of these, 56.3% were lower limb, foot and ankle problems [2].

This data allows us to draw two conclusions…

1.       Injury risk in the sport is incredibly high

2.      More players on the injured list means more risk to a dwindling number of healthy players

 If a roster is depleted through injuries, it means more game time for those on the healthy list. More game time leads to more risk, increased training demands and reduced recovery potential.  

To mitigate this risk, coaches need to employ recovery strategies that are both effective and efficient, because there simply isn’t enough time.

Infrared Outperforms Traditional Recovery Options

KYMIRA’s KYnergy™ fabric contains embedded ceramic particles to absorb body heat and emit far-infrared energy. This penetrates up to 1.5 inches to boost blood flow, [3] oxygenation (up to 20% increase), and cellular repair without needing compression fabrics or external power sources

Evidence shows that the use of infrared clothing helps to reduce delayed onset muscle soreness in athletes [4]. With the tight schedules, this DOMS reduction allows players to return to practice more quickly, which reduces injury risk and improves performance.

Key Recovery Benefits of Infrared Technology 

Whilst budgets for player recovery technology might be significant in the NFL, organisations are often time and location poor.

If players have access to infrared clothing, they can begin their recovery process immediately. They don’t need to wait for their massage appointment or their turn in the cryotherapy chamber.

For athletes, this is a huge benefit. It’s a passive form of recovery because all they need to do is wear the technology, and it gets to work immediately.

The key advantages here are the continuous nature of the recovery
- if the fabric is in contact with the skin, the benefit endures. It turns periods of travel or rest into legitimate recovery opportunities, meaning no time is wasted post-game or practice. The KYMIRA range includes sleepwear, so athletes can continue their recovery overnight.

This is more effective than episodic treatments and carries none of the risks associated with treatments such as cryotherapy or ice baths, nor the requirement of external power sources for treatments such as saunas and massage guns.

When travelling, it’s impossible to take saunas and cryo chambers with you, rendering them useless for any team on the road.

KYMIRA Technology and the Practical Benefits

KYMIRA infrared clothing can be worn anywhere and remains effective for the entire time it’s being worn.

If the players are flying or travelling by bus, the journey becomes valuable recovery time. Travelling now becomes an opportunity to repair tissues, remove post-exercise waste products and help return the body to a game-ready state.

This doesn’t just improve athlete health; it leaves more time for technical and tactical work. With much of the recovery work being done immediately after the game, strength and conditioning departments don’t need to spend time on recovery protocols for players when they return to practice.

In a world where the smallest advantages can be the difference between winning and losing, maximising recovery is a huge lever to pull. Recovered players are less injury-prone, return to a game-ready state faster and perform better. Keeping a squad healthy maximises your chances on the field.

To view the impact KYMIRA has on elite sport, take a look at our information page here. You’ll see why we’re the trusted partner of some of the world’s highest-performing athletes and teams across a range of sports.

References

[1] https://journal.iusca.org/index.php/Journal/article/view/62/157

[2] https://www.researchgate.net/publication/388035510_Decoding_NFL_Injuries_Risk_Factors_Recurrence_and_Predictive_Insights

[3] https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3699878/

[4] https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4993144/