A magazine of forecasts, trends, and ideas about the future
July-August 2008 Vol. 42, No. 4
Forecasts for the Next 25 Years
Technology
Tomorrow in Briefs
Specially engineered undergarments promote healthy circulation.
Older folks with circulation problems already know about the benefits of compression socks that apply pressure on the lower legs to reduce swelling. In the future, others may find even more health benefits from wearing well engineered underwear.
Skins are literally body-hugging gradient tights that are engineered to accelerate blood flow. Professional athletes may potentially be the biggest beneficiaries of this technology: Lab tests show enhanced power, endurance, and muscle recovery among those wearing the garment, according to its developers, Skins USA. But performance enhancement is not the only benefit: Athletes wearing their Skins tights during long plane trips have arrived at their destinations with fewer of the health problems typically encountered during such trips, including dehydration, jet lag, aches, and swelling. The tights may even help reduce deep vein thrombosis, which is potentially deadly if blood clots break loose, suggests Skins USA spokesman Jim Mills.
If they work for athletes, the hightech undergarments are also likely to benefit airline pilots and other passengers.
For a study published in the Medical Journal of Australia, researcher Melissa Hagan examined participants’ ratings of swelling and discomfort during long flights and rated improvements experienced when wearing the Skins tights. Average ankle swelling decreased by about 20 mm; participants also reported substantial improvements in leg pain, discomfort, and swelling and in levels of energy, alertness, and concentration.
Other potential users include business travelers, doctors and nurses, restaurant staff, and anyone else sitting or standing for long periods, notes Mills. — Cynthia G. Wagner
Sources: “A Randomised Crossover Study of Low-Ankle-Pressure Graduated-Compression Tights in Reducing Flight-Induced Ankle Oedema” by Melissa J. Hagan and Stephen M. Lambert, Medical Journal of Australia, 2008 188 (2): 81-84. www.mja.com.au. Skins USA, 5700 Flatiron Parkway, Suite B, Boulder, Colorado 80301. Web site www.skins.net
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