As a snowboarder I know I should stretch before and after riding, but like many of us I rarely do. This normally leads to muscle stiffness and a lack of flexibility the next day. So when I was told KYnergy technology could reduce snowboarding aches and pains, I just had to review KYMIRA infrared baselayers.
Don’t get me wrong, I get myself in shape for the winter season and always have the good intentions of a proper stretch. But most snowboarding days start in a rush, either I have just arrived in resort, I need to meet people, or there is powder and NEED to be on the first lift.
Snowboarding often ends with a beer, and me at the level of exhaustion where stretching for my beverage is a challenge. I bust out a few token stretches here and there but, I know I should do a lot more. With KYMIRA I am not looking for a quick fix, but as I enter my 40th year a helping hand certainly wouldn’t go amiss.
Introducing KYMIRA infrared baselayers
KYMIRA Sport was established in 2013. It’s part of the Science and Technology labs at the University of Reading in the UK. They have developed the patented KYnergy infrared technology, which recycles your body heat to improve performance and enhance recovery.
Put simply KYnergy technology uses a unique material called Celliant, a fibre that contains a mix of thermo-reactive minerals. The minerals react to your heat, recycling the body’s waste energy back at a specific wavelength of infrared that is different to heat, offering a range of benefits to the wearer.
The infrared emitted by the minerals stimulates production of Nitric Oxide, which is a vasodilator – meaning blood vessels expand. This improves circulation and oxygen transport giving muscles more fuel and enabling them to work more efficiently.
The Nitric Oxide also frees up the enzyme Cytochrome-C Oxidase, which is used in cellular energy production. With more of the enzyme available your metabolism speeds up, meaning you cells produce more energy and grow, repair and replicate quicker. All leading to less aches and pains while producing more energy.
The process also helps to alleviate pain. This is because nitrous oxide interacts with a molecule called Cyclic Guanosine Monophosphate acting as natural pain relief. It does this in a similar – but much less potent – way to opiates such as morphine.
If all this sounds too good to be true, or too complicated to get your head around, then join the club. I agreed to review KYMIRA infrared baselayers as a bit of a sceptic, without initially getting my head around the science. But I was willing ro try anything that could help reduce snowboarding aches and pains.
KYMIRA enhanced performance
Before I had a chance to review KYMIRA infrared baselayers snowboarding, I tested their performance enhancing capabilities. To do this I went for a run in them.
Now, it was in no way a scientific test, but once a week I run the same 6km route along the hilly cliffs between Newhaven and Peacehaven in East Sussex. Typically I find myself slowing down to walking pace in a couple of the steepest sections, and I often feel a twinge from old injuries which again slows me down.
In my first run wearing KYMIRA leggings I did not feel the need to walk on steep sections. I also didn’t feel any niggles from old injuries. By the time I got home I was more out of breath than normal, it seemed that rather than my legs getting tired it was my breathing that was holding me back.
When I checked my sport tracker app, I had shaved 22 seconds off my average per km pace. If you consider that this run was with a bit of a cold, and only the second one after a few weeks off with a minor injury, it was pretty impressive. I have since continued to run in them and have found the benefits to be consistent and my performance enhanced.
I also found that the KYMIRA top and leggings kept me warm on a cold day, but also allowed sweat to escape. To test them in warm conditions I spent 45 minutes on an exercise bike next to a radiator, I found they regulated my temperature well and my concern about overheating was completely misplaced.
The material is very quick drying. Straight out of the washing machine they take less than an hour to air dry. You can even put them on wet and they will quickly dry through your body heat.
Reduce snowboarding aches and pains
But the main reason I wanted to review KYMIRA infrared baselayers, was to reduce snowboarding aches and pains. Being slightly more scientific, I did multiple day tests each with two subjects and even had a control – bring on the clinical trial!
Review KYMIRA infrared baselayers: Day 1 Subject N
For the first test my friend Nathan, who has been suffering with dodgy knees, wore the KYMIRA leggings overnight after the first day snowboarding. During the first day his knees had been very painful, and he was worried he would not be able to ride the next day – otherwise I probably would not have lent them to him!
In the morning he said his knees felt a lot better. Although the word ‘miraculous’ was not actually used, he said that his knees felt better than they had before he started snowboarding the day before, let alone after. As he was in need – and had already been wearing them for 12 hours – I decided he should test them boarding.
Review KYMIRA infrared baselayers: Day 2 Subject N
The previous day Nathan had felt discomfort after just two hours of riding, but he managed a full, hard day on the slopes, including challenging off-piste. He lasted the full day without the level of knee pain he had the day before.
He also felt that his legs held out particularly well. Considering it was the first full day riding of the season, having been unable to do any training due to his knee problems he was surprised to go the distance. Especially considering the guide and myself were both considerably fitter.
Review KYMIRA infrared baselayers: Day 3 Subject N
Nathan continued to wear the leggings for the next two days snowboarding, and in bed at night. Despite the repeated sweaty activities, he said they did not smell. I took his word for it. But not to smell after 72 hours of wear is pretty impressive and a great sign for baselayers.
At the end of the trip Nathan was asking me how much they are and where he could get them. His only negative comment was, that although the material wicks sweat away quickly he found he had a damp bottom a few times. But he was snowboarding in insulated snowboard pants, in warm conditions wearing a baselayer.
Review KYMIRA infrared baselayers: Day 1 Subject L
The thought of Nathan’s sweaty bottom meant I washed the leggings multiple times, before taking them to the Pyrenees.
I deliberately didn’t wear the KYMIRA infrared baselayers boarding the first day, or overnight the first night. This was because I visited a thermal spa that evening, and wanted to ensure any reduction in snowboarding aches and pains, could be attributed to the spa and compared to the effect of wearing KYMIRA.
On my second day I ached a lot and found it hard to get into the flow riding, I was not wearing the KYMIRA infrared baselayers. Day three is normally my achiest day of a trip, so I went to bed wearing them KYMIRA as pijamas that evening.
Review KYMIRA infrared baselayers: Day 2 Subject L
I awoke the next morning almost completely devoid of my normal snowboarding aches and pains. In the past on day three of a snowboarding trip I have ached so much that I have struggled to even strap my board, and found it very difficult to get into the flow snowboarding.
However, having worn KYMIRA infrared baselayers overnight I felt ache free and flexible – pretty much like the first day of a snowboarding trip. I wore them on the slopes for the day and I was instantly riding at my best, almost like I had already done a few warm up runs, as there was no stiffness in the legs.
My only issue was the ankle of the leggings was too tight to wear rolled up over my calf or knee. This meant putting the thermals inside my boots something I have always considered a no no. We rode hard and my legs felt good all day, even back home after the trip I didn’t have the normal snowboarding aches and pains.
However, wearing the KYMIRA infrared baselayers tucked into my boots caused boot discomfort, as there was more clothing on my leg than foot. This meant when the boots were done up tight enough to hold my foot in place they were too tight on my leg, and if the leg was right the foot was not tight enough.
Review KYMIRA infrared baselayers: Conclusions
Having started out as a bit of a sceptic, I am not just sold on the KYMIRA infrared technology, but I got my head around the science. Not only did I find they improved my running, but I seemed to avoid niggly pains, and they worked great as a sport baselayer in both hot and cold conditions.
Hitting the slope, both Nathan and I found the KYMIRA infrared baselayers did reduce snowboarding aches and pains. Nathan found his pre-existing injuries improved, and he could snowboard for longer. He also said that wearing them overnight seemed to almost eradicate his normal morning stiffness.
In a direct – and completely scientific – comparison I found that wearing KYMIRA overnight did a far better job of reducing aches than visiting a thermal spa. After a night tucked up wearing them as PJs I started the day fresh and ache free despite riding hard the two previous days. I plan to use them overnight on snowboarding holidays from now on.
On the slope they helped me warm up quicker – in fact almost instantly – and to be able to relax into snowboarding straight away. If they made three quarter length leggings, I would wear them instead of thermals every day, mainly to help reduce snowboarding aches and pains, but also to keep me riding longer.
As of January 2016 prices start at around £80 for leggings or tops, find out more at www.kymirasport.com
