Sports lifestyle brand Puma has recently introduced a range of training tights, shorts and tops by using Invista’s Lycra Sport fabric which featured both athletic taping and enhanced compression within the garments.

According to Puma, ACTV training tights use a combination of increased muscle compression and athletic taping to maximize muscle power and support. The tape is strategically built in the garments to mimic an athlete’s muscle patterns and provide a micro-massage, which is intended to help the athlete perform at optimum levels. Strips of this elasticized silicone tape are built into the garments and strategically placed in specific patterns over the active muscles.

Puma worked with polymer and fiber producer Invista, makers of Lycra fiber, to determine the suitable fabric for the ACTV range of garments. The silicone ‘taping’ is attached to Lycra Sport fabric, which makes up the main material of the performance wear. This is part of an on-going active wear innovation partnership between Puma and Invista.

These Lycra Sport fabric performance properties, combined with its shape retention over time, are necessary for the ACTV and RCVR lines, as they allow the silicone tape to stay in place over the active muscles so that the wearer can reap the full benefits of the garment.

“We’re very excited to be a part of Puma’s ground-breaking performance wear range as it is a perfectly suited opportunity to showcase the key benefits of Lycra Sport fabric,” says Marine Chavanis, Invista’s European Marketing Account Manager for Active/ Outdoor.