Basketball players wearing leggings on the court has been seen as a trend because they improve blood flow to the muscles and boost their overall performance. Plus, it’s stylish and comfortable to wear.
We have seen NBA players wearing leggings like Lebron James, Steph Curry and Russel Westbrook. It has become everyday wear for most basketball players, even other athletes in different sports. But why do basketball players wear leggings really?
In this post, we’ll find out the benefits of wearing leggings and whether it helped basketball players improve their performance. Here are the reasons why basketball players are wearing leggings.
Table of Contents
1. Reduce muscle soreness
Delayed onset muscle soreness can appear after long hours of physically-demanding training or intense workouts and can eventually affect the performance of the basketball players during the game.
There are a variety of factors that can cause potential muscle soreness including lack of sleep or stress. Although massage and taking health supplements work to help combat excessive DOMS, wearing tights or leggings can also reduce muscle soreness by decreasing muscle oscillation that leads to DOMS.
Recommended Reading: Why are basketball players so tall?
2. Improves blood flow
In basketball, the players have to work their muscles from arms to legs so it’s essential to have a healthy blood flow throughout the body. Compression garments or leggings help facilitate blood flow throughout the body. Furthermore, an increase in blood flow is good for stimulating the growth of healthy cells.
Not only wearing leggings helps in improving blood flow, but it also helps prevent deep vein thrombosis (DVT). Deep vein thrombosis is a condition where blood clots form in veins. It usually hits lower legs or even thighs, and it can happen to anyone, regardless of age. Basketball players aren’t exempted.
DVT causes swelling and pain, and the skin may feel warmer than usual. Studies show that wearing compression tights or leggings help decrease the chances or development of having DVT. This can be a serious condition, as a blood clot can go all the way to the lungs and block an artery. Wearing leggings can help reduce the swelling and improve blood flow.
Recommended Reading: Why do basketball players wear tights?
3. Extends the benefits of stretching
Since leggings wrap firmly around the skin, they help reduce vibration throughout muscles which helps keep the movement of players during practice or games. As the muscles get tighter during the game, leggings extend the advantage of pre-game stretching.
In heated games that involve overtime, having stabilized muscles throughout the game could give players an advantage over the player who gets tired or weary easily. Leggings or any compression garments are important to help stabilize the muscles of the players regardless of how long the game lasts.
4. Prevent deep skin scratches and bruises
Basketball is a physical game so there are times when players get bruises or injuries which could leave bruises or scratches on their skin. Not to mention they also sometimes slide or get knocked down on hardwood floor giving them occasional burns.
Wearing compression garments or leggings add an extra skin layer so it won’t totally come into direct contact with the surface. As a result, this decreases the risk of injuries. There are also compression garments with padding that are available in case players want protection against trauma.
5. Leggings are comfortable to wear
The body is using sweat to cool down itself. Basketball players often get into intense activities all of a sudden which tend to apply heavy pressure on the muscles. Since wearing leggings or tights keep the muscles of the players warm, it helps avoid muscle injuries which happens usually when there’s excessive sweating.
If you notice, the overall benefits of wearing leggings for NBA and other basketball players can apply to any sport or recreational activities. More than the health benefits of wearing leggings, sometimes wearing compression gears or leggings are just simply fashionable and adds more confidence to the players.
Sometimes for NBA and other basketball players, wearing leggings under shorts helps them feel and look good. The feeling of looking good boosts the confidence of the players, increasing their overall performance during the game.
Recommended Reading: Why do basketball players wear masks?
Frequently Asked Questions
Does wearing leggings help improve a player’s overall performance during the game?
There are different reasons why NBA and other basketball players wear leggings. Some wear it for some practical health benefits as mentioned above, while for others it makes them feel or look good.
What are the leggings that basketball players wear on the court?
In the NBA, most players represent brands or associations in which they represent or promote on the court during the game. This includes McDavid, Hexpad, Copper, etc. Usually they are sponsors of these players so they wear it for brand promotion.
What’s the perfect leggings to purchase for basketball players?
It depends. Regardless, whether or not it’s a leggings from a popular brand, what matters is the performance and skill of the player during the game that will make him win, not what he/she is wearing. When it comes to purchasing or shopping for leggings or any compression garments, make sure to pay attention to size, material and features of the clothing.
What other sports do you wear leggings for?
Anyone who’s in sports or doing workouts can wear leggings. Some of the sports where players are usually seen wearing leggings include running, cycling, volleyball and basketball.
Final Thoughts
Don’t expect leggings to give you superpowers during games allowing you to suddenly become a pro basketball player(unless you already are) or make you win the game. However, the obvious fact here is that wearing leggings give you some practical and benefits as mentioned above. Not only it is comfortable to wear, but it also helps increase blood flow and adds an extra layer to prevent deep skin bruises, scratches or injuries.
Do you also wear leggings while playing any sports? For what reason? Feel free to share them in the comments below!
