‘The wall.’ Every athlete knows what we’re talking about. The feeling of when your muscles have fatigued so much during a race or a practice that you struggle to move, everything slows down, and the finish doesn’t seem to be getting any closer. Athletes live in fear of ‘the wall’ and often try to avoid it if they can. As the body exerts effort, lactic acid begins to build up in the blood and enough of it attributes to the ‘hitting a wall’ feeling that many athletes are all too familiar with. The onset of lactic acid in the body is inevitable during physical activity. When you’re training hard, you can’t stop it, but wouldn’t it be nice to push back the wall and prolong the buildup of lactic acid for as long as possible?  Thankfully, BODIMAX Sleeves by A3 Performance do just that, and the science behind the technology backs it up!

BODIMAX Sleeves, by A3 Performance, are an innovative, patent-pending compression sleeve, designed for both in-water and out-of-water workouts. Developed with BODIMAX Technology, an innovative fabric technology, BODIMAX Sleeves significantly impact training and recovery. When BODIMAX Technology comes into contact with the skin, far infrared energy penetrates the body and improves circulation to deliver more oxygen to the muscles. This, in turn, prolongs the buildup of lactic acid.  The cellular respiration process of the body is the delivery of oxygen to the muscles to break down glucose and build ATP in your body. ATP, or adenosine triphosphate, is the power of the cell and allows short muscle contractions, quick movements, and generally 7-10 seconds of ‘free speed’ before you begin to feel fatigue in that muscle.  

When the body exercises, the cellular respiration systems uses oxygen to break down glucose and continue to make ATP for as long as it can, but this does not last long.  After those 7-10 seconds, the body is challenged to deliver enough oxygen to the muscles to break down glucose and to build ATP.  As the body’s oxygen supply becomes depleted, lactic acid begins to build.  The body can convert lactic acid into energy, but it also tends to build up faster than what’s being used. When enough lactic acid is generated, that feared ‘wall’ becomes a reality for the athlete.

The delivery of oxygen to the muscles is equally as crucial in the recovery process. Once the physical activity has ceased, the oxygen pumping through the body is used to break down glucose and to begin replenishing the now depleted supply of ATP in the muscles.  

Bottom line, the more oxygen you deliver to your muscles both during and post exercise, the better you'll perform!  

The BODIMAX Technology in A3’s BODIMAX Sleeves allows the cellular respiration process of the body to deliver oxygen to the muscles for a longer period of time than normal.  When BODIMAX Technology comes into contact with the body, the capillaries expand. The capillaries’ (the body’s smallest blood vessel) job is to distribute oxygenated blood to the tissues and muscles of the body. With BODIMAX Technology, the capillaries expand and can carry MORE oxygen than without BODIMAX Technology. More oxygen means that the muscle will be able to exercise at a higher level for a longer period of time without experiencing fatigue or the buildup of lactic acid. Not to mention, BODIMAX Technology improves athlete circulation, helping the body to become more efficient in using oxygen and clearing lactic acid.

BODIMAX Sleeves are not a total cure to an athlete ‘hitting the wall’ in training; lactic acid buildup is still inevitable.  Many coaches in various sports incorporate high-intensity sets into training that purposefully build vigorous lactic acid levels. Since that fatigue is inevitable, many coaches want their athletes to get familiar with that discomfort and to fight through it, because, in competition, there is no stopping or slowing down. The goal is to get athletes comfortable and familiar with the idea that lactic acid will build, and fatigue will set in, but they need to finish their race strong. Athletes wearing BODIMAX Sleeves during these grueling training sessions will be able to hold their technique longer and train at a higher level for longer before hitting their threshold. These athletes will actually get more out of lactic acid training as the buildup of lactic acid is prolonged, but they will still feel fatigue and hit that inevitable wall.