Have there been any studies on how wearing spandex might influence eyesight or the ability to follow simple directions? I see a lot of spandex-wearing individuals who are unable to comprehend simple road signs like “STOP.” The Durango Wheel Club has basic rules for group rides; however, participants wearing spandex seem to have missed that section of the website. Could there be an opportunity for a federal grant to study this situation? – Sign me, “Frustrated on County Road 250”
Action Line spent far too much time reading scholarly papers about spandex. Seriously. There are tons of studies out there.
Sadly, none has addressed the impact of stretch fabrics on vision or mental acuity, so maybe an intrepid local scientist could find the time and federal money to answer this question.
After all, the government is funding some really stupid research. The University of Kentucky, for example, managed to get a total of $356,933 to see if cocaine increased risky sexual behavior in Japanese quails. This study began in 2010 and will continue through next year.
If we can take five years to observe the mating habits of junkie fowl, we should be able to gauge the effect of Lycra on higher functions of human cyclists.
That said, some research on stretch fabrics really stretches the limits.
For instance, a pair of Egyptian scholars published a study called “Physical and Stretch Properties of Woven Cotton Fabric Containing Different Rates of Spandex.”
The 2012 paper came to this stunning conclusion: “The amount of spandex has a significant influence on physical and elastic properties of woven fabrics.”
But more to your point, spandex is not a performance-enhancing snug.
A study in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research found that “the use of compression appears to help in the recovery process after an intense heavy resistance training workout in men and women.”
So spandex seems to alleviate soreness in weightlifters. But bulky weightlifters are pretty much the opposite athletic spectrum as scrawny cyclists.
Not to flatten your tires, but bike shorts really don’t do much.
The International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance published a study by three Australian researchers entitled “The Effects of Wearing Compression Garments During Endurance Cycling.”
The scientists measured all sorts of things including oxygenation, blood lactate concentration and heart rate during one-hour time trails. (A time trial is where you go as fast as you can over a period of time, in this case 60 minutes.)
The bottom line: “The present results demonstrated limited physiological benefits and no performance enhancement through wearing LBCG (lower-body compression garments) during a cycling time trial,” the study concluded.
The findings validate a study published in the journal Sports Medicine, Training and Rehabilitation that looked to see if “compression shorts” would improve the performance of students doing a series of jumps.
The garb “had no effect” on the height of jumps, but “power output” was increased, most likely resulting from stabilizing the leg muscles upon impact, the study posited.
The study also cited “psychological factors” of wearing spandex shorts as contributing to higher performance.
So the answer to your question might be those “psychological factors.”
Spandex can be seen as some kind of superhero uniform, endowed with special powers – including exemptions from common sense and traffic-safety devices.
But it’s not just bike riders under the grip of spandex. According to a National Public Radio report, 80 percent of today’s clothes have some spandex in them.
This explains why no one around here – drivers as well as bicyclists – seems to grasp the concept of “STOP.” Stretch fabrics trumps the Colorado Revised Statutes.
Email questions to actionline@durangoherald.com or mail them to Action Line, The Durango Herald, 1275 Main Ave., Durango, CO 81301. You can request anonymity if your cycling outfit consists of cutoff jeans, a T-shirt and a pair of flip flops.
