Compression Form-fitted Athletic Wear: Pressure Performance, Moisture Management Properties under Different Tension Ratios, and Corresponding Psychophysical Responses

Pressure performance and moisture management properties (MMP) of compression form-fitted athletic wear (CFA) play important role in achieving their mechanical functionality, wearing comfort, and physiological health for athletes during intensive exercises. Based on the 5Ps model, pressure and liquid moisture transfer attributes and their resultant subjective perceptions are analyzed and discussed through adopting objective and subjective measuring methods in this study. The MMP of eight types of fabric specimens were evaluated when the specimens were stretched at tension ratios of 0 %, 10 % and 20 % by applying an innovatively improved moisture management test method. Most of the tested specimens presented satisfied MMP when tested in a relaxed state. Testing under tension status significantly influenced the MMP of the tested specimens. The changes were mainly reflected in the prolonged wetting time, the increased absorption rates at the skin-contacted fabric surface, the reduced wetted radius and spreading speed at outer side of fabric, and the weakened one-way transfer properties. The tested fabrics with stretch of 20 % showed, in general, better performances in MMP than those with a stretch of 10 %. Pressure characteristic values ranging from 1679.88 to 2752.89 Pa on average were extracted from the different six pressure zones around the tested athletes' bodies. Our improved MMT test method provides a new approach to study the fabric MMP when fabrics are under different tensions. Five sensory dimensions were used to analyze psychophysical responses to the physical stimulus of pressure and MMP, which revealed complex interactive mechanisms existing between pressure action, moisture transfer attributes and comfort perceptions related to compression athletic wear.