CLOTHES ENCOUNTER

HOW what you wear can affect your health. This week: Compression clothing WEARING tight sports gear could put you at risk of heart problems if you’re older, according to a study last year at the University of Essex.

The patients in the study had an average age of 60 and were already at risk of high blood pressure, obesity or type 2 diabetes. They found intense treadmill workouts harder when wearing tightfitting sports kit and covered 9 per cent less distance.

The kit, which is known as compression clothing, is meant to improve blood flow to the muscles.

‘ These garments are designed for athletes and the effects of compression on healthy muscular individuals is likely to be different in older adults with more subcutaneous fat,’ says Dr Katherine Reed, a lecturer in sports science.

Research from the University of Navarra in Spain also found that tight-fitting sports clothing raised the body temperature and heart rates of people in their 60s, increasing their risk of heart attack.