Equipment Review – Canterbury steps things up!

There are gradually more and more sportsmen (and women) of all levels trying out compression outfits underneath their regular sporting fatigues. With each manufacturer doing their utmost to corner a particular niche in the market, well-known sportswear brand, Canterbury of New Zealand have recently released their new model called the Mercury Compression.

Mercury Compression is designed to enhance athletic performance and accelerate recovery following prolonged periods of exercise. It does this by aiding blood circulation in the lower leg and lower arm, this in turn assists in returning a higher volume of blood back to the heart which results in a quicker removal of lactic acid.

Cricket Web’s Paul Wood reviews the Long Sleeve Hybrid Compression Top and Leggings –

I trialled this outfit during a number of extensive cricket fitness training sessions and must admit to holding a degree of scepticism prior to the sessions regarding the effectiveness of the modern garments.

Initially I had question marks over the comfort of the outfit, it is obviously snugger than your average sporting clothing and I ensured there wasn’t a mirror within viewing distance as these kind of things can indeed be very unforgiving. However, once I grew accustomed to having these under my training kit they did offer me an energy, that may only have been psychological, that saw me breeze through some rigorous fitness drills, and the cooling effect it gave off around the arms and legs was exceptionally soothing.

On one particularly breezy English day that saw my team-mates wrapped up in layers of clothing, I was more than warm enough in just the compression top, leggings, a t-shirt and jogging bottoms. So in terms of maintaining body temperature it scored hugely.

My main point of intrigue was how I was going to shape up in the morning and whether there was going to be any form of improvement in my usual morning stiffness. Well, I was not to be disappointed, my legs were fresher than usual and I also found it helped in my back where I do have ongoing problems, and while it obviously didn’t cure the issues, it undoubtedly helped recovery in this area in particular.

The prices of these items seem a touch on the expensive side and whether they are worth depends on your own personal position. What I will say is I found them very beneficial both to my performance and to my recovery and with certain things you get what you pay for.

Price List –

You can get the following in either black or white from selected Canterbury retailers and online at www.canterbury.com : –

* Long Sleeve Hybrid Compression Top – 55 pounds
* Hybrid Compression Legging – 55 pounds
* Short Sleeve Stability Compression Top – 45 pounds
* Stability Compression Short – 35 pounds

(UK Prices)

You can also see South African wing Bryan Habana wearing these during the current Rugby World Cup in New Zealand.