Athletes - CAPE Bionics

Compression Garments – Fact V Fiction

May 26, 2021

Compression garments have been used widely by elite and recreational athletes for many years. However, there are a number of myths surrounding the use of these garments. CAPE Bionics Sports Physiologist Dr Annette Eastwood separates the facts from fiction: 1) All compression garments are the same: FALSE Comparison between different brands has shown that there are differences in the amount of pressure applied. In a study comparing 3 commercially available brands of compression tights, the pressure at the thigh and calf varied considerably for the same sized garment (Hill et al., 2015). 2) Compression garments can be sized according to

CAPE Bionics History and the future of Compression Garments

May 5, 2021

Introducing our very first Vlog about CAPE Bionics and the journey that we have been on to bring Elite Sports Athletes simply the best compression wear on this planet. Our CEO and Founder Dr. James Waldie and CAPE Bionics Physiologist Dr. Annette Eastwood discuss the history of our compression garments, what makes our products so unique, and where we see the future of CAPE. Watch in full below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oNnoHKmn93w&feature=emb_title

CAPE compression garments – For travel both on and off the planet!

April 26, 2021

Pictured Above – AFL Club Port Adelaide Team wearing CAPE Bionics Custom Compression calf sleeves. CAPE founder and CEO Dr James Waldie has spent over 18 years researching compression. His initial research with NASA involved developing compression suits for astronauts during space travel! More recently Dr Waldie has applied his research findings to developing the most optimal compression garments for elite athletes considering their specific needs such as performance, recovery, rehabilitation, and travel. Due to intense competition schedules many elite athletes are required to travel extensively throughout a competitive season. For some this may be frequent domestic travel with short

Compression Garments – Sports Grade Standard Fit V Medical Grade Custom Fit

March 23, 2021

The use of compression garments originated in the medical industry as a means to treat conditions such as burns, deep vein thrombosis, lymphedema, and venous insufficiency. Compression garments have been shown to improve circulation, increase venous return and reduce oedema. More recently the physiological impact of compression garments have been used by athletes with the intention of enhancing recovery by reducing inflammation and muscle soreness. What is the difference between sports and medical grade compression? For compression garments to be effective, the correct pressure must be applied to the skin. Recent research showed that medical grade compression socks exhibited a

Compression Garments – Athlete perception of recovery

March 3, 2021

Research into the effectiveness of compression garments has focused largely on the impact on athlete recovery. Both objective and subjective markers have been used in research and practice to determine the recovery status of an athlete. Objective markers may be performance markers, physiological markers or biochemical markers, where as subjective markers are feelings reported by the athlete often by using a questionnaire. A recent review comparing objective and subjective measures of athlete well-being, demonstrated that subjective measures reflected training load with more sensitivity and consistency than objective measures. It was concluded that subjective measures may be used with confidence to

Customised Compression – The future of compression garments

January 18, 2021

With the start of a new year and a new season approaching, many teams are looking at ways to optimise athlete performance and recovery. Research has shown that compression garments can have a beneficial effect on performance and optimise athlete recovery, however ensuring optimal fit is essential for achieving the benefits from these garments. It has been shown that poorly fitting garments can have a negligible or possibly a detrimental effect on performance (Wannop, et al., 2016), which highlights the importance of having garments that are custom fitted to the individual athlete. Unlike off the shelf compression garments which are

CAPE speak to Dr Ian McKeown Head of High-Performance from Port Adelaide on custom compression

December 21, 2020

2020 has been a year like no other, particularly for elite sport. The 2020 AFL season has posed significant challenges for players and coaches, due to the change in match fixtures and the reduced recovery time between games. Enhancing player recovery has become more important than ever. Cape were able to assist Port Adelaide in 2020 by proving customised compression garments for the players. Our Sports Physiologist Dr Annette Eastwood caught up with Dr Ian McKeown, Head of High Performance at Port Adelaide Football Club, to discuss how Cape compression garments assisted Port Adelaide players during the 2020 AFL season.

Compression Garments – Current research and future directions.

November 26, 2020

The effects of compression garments on performance and recovery have been widely researched over many years. So, what is the current research telling us about the effectiveness of compression garments, and what is the future of athletic compression wear? Recovery and Performance Research has shown that compression garments worn during recovery may assist recovery of power, strength, and endurance, as well as muscle damage and feelings of muscle soreness. These findings have been supported by the results of recent meta analyses (3,7) in which the findings of many research studies were analysed collectively. Compression garments have been found to reduce

Applying Space Science to Sports Science

November 2, 2020

Elite athletes are always looking for a competitive edge in terms of performance and recovery. Cape Bionics apply the scientific principles of space suit design to athletic compression garments to ensure that athletes receive the most beneficial compression garments possible. So how exactly does space science apply to sports science? Physiological effects of space travel Space travel places a huge amount of physiological strain on the human body. The weightlessness experienced in microgravity can result in a significant loss of muscle mass and bone mass. Bone loss during a prolonged space mission can be as much as 2% per month

The end of the ice age and start of the space age? Part 2 – Injury Management

October 19, 2020

In Part 1 of “The end of the ice age and start of the space age” we discussed the pro’s and cons of using ice baths / cold water immersion for athletic recovery, but what about sporting injuries? Ice is widely used in the treatment of sporting injuries on the assumption that it reduces inflammation and speeds up the healing process. However, there is little evidence to support the use of ice in the management of soft tissue injuries, and conversely it has been suggested that ice may slow down healing and delay recovery. The concept of ice for treating

The end of the ice age and start of the space age?

October 7, 2020

For many years athletes have been using ice baths (cold water immersion) to enhance recovery. Ice is also commonly used in the treatment of acute sporting injuries. However recent research has questioned the use of ice for recovery purposes and injury management. So could this be the end of the ice age? Ice baths / Cold water immersion (CWI) for athletic recovery. Numerous studies have investigated the use of CWI on athlete recovery. Positive effects on subsequent performance and a reduction in muscle soreness have been shown when CWI is used post exercise. Consequently, many elite athletes will use ice

Australian Football League challenges with a 4 day turnaround

September 16, 2020

An AFL game is one of the most physically demanding team sports. In a typical game, players can cover over 12km of running, with numerous high intensity efforts, accelerations, decelerations, and collisions. Considering the high physiological load associated with the game, recovery is particularly important, especially in the immediate post game period. Adopting appropriate recovery strategies during this time, is essential in the preparation for subsequent games during a competitive season. 2020 has posed significant challenges to the AFL season, particularly in regards to changes in the scheduling of games and the reduced recovery time between games. Due to changes

Introducing Annette Eastwood

August 21, 2020

Sports Physiologist Dr. Annette Eastwood has an extensive background in elite sport having spent 15 years working in the elite sport system in Australia. As a Senior Physiologist with the Australian Institute of Sport, Annette worked closely with the Triathlon Australia High Performance Program and was the Physiologist for the Australian Triathlon Team at the 2016 Olympic Games as well as the Triathlon World Championships from 2014-2016. Annette spent 10 years at the South Australian Sports Institute working with a variety of sports including cycling, rowing, kayaking, swimming, baseball, basketball and netball. Throughout her career, a key component of her

Why Cape Garments are Better than Pneumatic Compression Devices

Bodyweight loading and bone health?

August 13, 2020

Body weight is directly associated with bone mineral density. A low body mass index (BMI) has been identified as an important risk factor for lower BMD and predicts greater bone loss in older age. On the other hand, a high body weight can be due to increased physical activity or obesity, and both will increase BMD. The deleterious health impacts associated with obesity, however, profoundly overwhelms any positive in gaining weight for BMD benefit. What happens at the extreme when all bodyweight is removed, like in space? We have seen that astronauts suffer up to 2% BMD loss in microgravity.

Use it or lose it – bone loss leading to Osteoporosis

August 7, 2020

Osteoporosis is a very serious condition of low bone mass or density, and affects 55% of the population over 50 in the United States. The greatest risk is in women who can lose up to 2% bone mass per year following menopause. Bone loss can be much worse for Astronauts, however, who can lose up to 2% per month! The loss is predominantly in the weight bearing areas of the skeleton (thoracic and lumbar vertebrae, pelvis, femur, tibia, fibula and calcaneus) due to the unloading of (and adaptation to) weightlessness. A large study recently looked at the change in bone

A typical job description for an Athletic Trainer

July 14, 2020

Purpose of role Athletic trainers are where sports and medicine meet. Athletic trainers diagnose and treat injuries to bone and muscle under the direction of licensed doctors or other health-care professionals. They work with anyone who engages in athletic activities, from elementary school children on playgrounds to professional athletics in Olympic competition. They prevent injury through the use of devices such as tape and braces, recognise and evaluate injuries, and provide emergency care. They rehabilitate hurt athletes and plan programs to prevent injury and illness. They also perform administrative tasks such as meeting with administrative officials, keeping records and dealing