If you’re a fan of the basketball game, then watching players wearing a long pair of tights or leggings is nothing new to you. And the question that why do basketball players wear tights is quite obvious to arrive in your mind sooner or later. The very simple tights basketball logic may seem a bit odd to few.
And so, going for deep insight on this matter can be informative plus a fun topic to cover. So, cheers to that thought, today’s piece of writing will be fun.
Let’s Know Why Do Basketball Players Wear Tights.
Though there are many reasons behind why a player would want to wear tights during their game, let’s not make things complicated. Let’s just talk about 8 common reasons why most basketball players find wearing tights or shorts perfectly appropriate for their game and practice.
1. Boosting Blood Flow.
Compression gears or wears are great for increasing one’s blood flow. And that could be one major reason why most players wear tights in basketball games. This fact is also very important to other athletes. Since with an increased amount of blood flow, one will achieve better oxygen in their blood. And that’s definitely going to create a better condition for a player to play well.
With the increased blood flow, one will also experience better cell growth. And that’s very effective at improving the internal organ’s functionality. One of the long-term benefits related to increased blood flow is ability to fight against certain types of infections.
Also, muscles are prone to get cold easily. Especially if a player needs to sit on the bench for a prolonged time. And wearing tights can really help to reduce the chance of getting cold. Since this helps to engage the muscles and prepare them better for action. Something quite similar to the result one can achieve through stretching.
2. For the Sake of DOMS.
If you are not familiar with the term DOMS, it’s basically Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness. Have you ever felt a strange soreness in your muscles after two days of working out? This is basically a so-called muscle fever condition. The activities that require some eccentric contraction are more likely to cause you DOMS. Your genetics, sleep conditions, and biological stresses are some other factors that can control DOMS.
Medicines don’t really have many solutions to this condition. However, basketball players often treat their same condition with some massage and rubbings. They also tend to take ibuprofen to control the pain. And in case of extreme pain it’s usually due to lack of sleep or vitamin D.
Basketball players have found compression tights very useful at reducing muscle oscillation. The wearing helps to keep their muscles relaxed and less worn out. Also wearing tights during their training session helps to reduce the micro-tears of muscle soreness. Some players with such conditions will religiously wear tight leggings and shorts to reduce their sufferings.
3. To Lessen DVT.
DVT is a short form of deep vein thrombosis. It basically means blood clots forming in veins. This condition is frequently noticeable within the lower legs or thigh area. It does not discriminate depending on age so anyone can suffer.
Basketball players who practice a lot may suffer from this condition resulting in swelling and pain. And to reduce this problem, tights or compression garments are proven to be helpful. Especially during an important match where winning is necessary, players tend to take all possible measurements to avoid chances of any poor physical condition.
Wearing compression tight also reduces the chance of getting into this condition for a physically active person. And that’s why some players who have gone through surgeries or physical trauma wear compression garments and tights to reduce falling into DVT.
4. Stretching Becomes More Effective.
Before a match, there can be some free time on hand that a basketball player would like to involve in stretching. Here also the tight garments help these players. Due to the compression of these wearing, advantages of stretching get extended.
Also, during time outs, players may face muscle going cold. And that is definitely not good news for players who need to engage their body part a lot. It can really impact the game performance if not taken seriously into account. Tights preserve the body heat during those time outs. And as a result, a player who stretches or relaxes in tight clothing will face lesser muscle going cold instances.
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5. Holds Your Body Better in Place.
Apart from how effective tight fittings can be for performance enhancement, there are other general reasons to wear it as well. For example, compression leggings will keep your body parts hold in place tightly.
A lot of movements are necessary for a player in basketball. Wearing boxers and or wide shorts can be a bit uncomfortable since your underpart will bounce along with you. And in an open field, it’s not a very pleasant thing if people notice such stuff.
So, to keep your genital out from bothering, you should wear something that will press it against the body and prevent embarrassing bouncing. And tights or shorts with compression fabric will do the job pretty well. You won’t feel any discomfort while jumping and running as well. There are also compression garments that include padded sections. During competitions, players will feel more comfortable wearing these.
6. Tights Can Drastically Impact Chances of Injury.
Basketball players are more exposed to the risk of injuring themselves. And there’s no need to tell you the reason behind. Experts believe that wearing compression tights and similar garments really help in reducing the chance of such injuries.
Think it this way. When you wear something tight, your muscles are supposed to stay in that exact place. No matter how much you move, jump or bounce, the tights should be able to avoid too many muscle movements by keeping them in their place.
And this means players can be on a safer side of getting into a muscle-related injury. Especially the problems of pulls, strains, sprains, and similar ailments. The tights are going to work as a perfect support for muscles. And so, during the game, players will feel more comfortable and less worried about a probable injury.
Also, some say that compression gears are great at protecting basketball players from impact injuries. It becomes one solid barrier between player’s skin and the courts. And so, a lot of burns and rubs are discarded easily.
The fact that basketball players are so much more prone to get into a hard fall is not very surprising. And on those movements, if the player wears a tight legging with proper padding for knees, hips, and sensitive body parts, it can literally be lifesaving.
However, compression gear or tights are no confirmed way to avoid injuries. And sometimes, even with wearing these, the player experiences bad injuries. It’s just that, the chances of injury get lessened.
7. Absorbs Sweat Much Better Than Other Type of Wearing.
Playing basketball will cause a good amount of sweating and that’s no surprising thing for players. Even with simple shooting hoops in driveways, a person can be sweaty to a certain extent. However, when a player plays inside a game of basketball, sweating continuously is very annoying and attention bothering. It also sometimes results in a very bad body smell after a period of time.
Wearing tights can be a solution to this as well. It won’t magically stop the sweating though. However, players still wear compression tights to fight against the sweating by wicking moisture away from body. Since tights are usually made from breathable and light material, it becomes easier to reduce moisture.
8. Sometimes, Simply Because of How It Looks.
Now not every basketball player has some health-related or injury reduction involved reason for wearing tights and compression gears. Sometimes, the player wears it because he simply wants to. There are people who love the look of wearing a tight short. Since it looks very masculine in appearance. Especially in a sport like basketball game where fashion is now becoming a serious thing for players.
The sleek and colorful shorts that fit just into right places can make a player look ten times more attractive. And simply because of that appearance preference, a basketball player can wear tights while performing in a very important match to look like a star.
Final thoughts
Now you probably know why do basketball players wear tights. These garments are no miracle but a problem solver for the players. It’s similar to a training gear for players that have a good number of positives along with neglectable negatives. To confirm better muscle warming and effective execution, a basketball player will definitely find tight garments superior. Either a basketball player simply wears these to look more masculine or there’s some pretty practical reasoning behind, hopefully, now you get it.