Best Sportswear For Sleep & Recovery Optimization

These days, technology plays an important role when exercising, whether that’s with the machines and equipment we are using, the earphones that are keeping us motivated, or the smartwatch that is tracking our every move. Technology in sports is changing for the better and allows us to have access to data showing us how well we are performing over a certain period. This data can be used to our advantage, and most recently, sportswear is being produced so that we can take better care of our bodies by telling us how long we need to recover. Read on as we take a look at some of the best sportswear for sleep and recovery, including whoop vs oura. Which one will you choose? 

Why are rest and recovery important? 

Whether you are an athlete, you take part in recreational sports or you’re keen to monitor your well-being, getting a good night’s rest, and taking time to recover from a stressful day is key to how you perform. Here are a few of the reasons that good quality sleep and taking time to recover between workouts are essential: 

• Muscle recovery: During exercise, muscle breaks down. You must take time to recover adequately so that your muscles can repair, and the energy stores that have been used can replenish. Not prioritising muscle recovery means you may not be able to perform at your best. 
• Prevents overtraining: This is more serious than it seems – overtraining can be a difficult cycle to break and happens when athletes do not take enough time to recover. It can result in various issues for your body, like dehydration and increased body fat. 
• Relaxation: When you’re putting your body through stressful workouts, you need to take time to relax – both your body and mind. Taking time out to relax means better sleep, and better performance when it’s time to train. 
• Improves skills: When you’re sleeping, your brain works to store new information, including new skills that can contribute to improved performance in the future. 

As technology becomes more advanced, we can take advantage of devices and sportswear that help us to get to know how our bodies are recovering after a workout, and when the optimum time to train again is. Here are some of the best sportswear for tracking sleep and recovery. 

Whoop Band 

The Whoop Band is aimed at athletes that with benefit from data to help them recover fully. It is different to your average fitness tracker as its primary focus is on recovery and sleep, rather than tracking steps and exercise. It offers highly detailed metrics that help the wearer to decide if their body is ready to take on their next workout. This means they are more likely to perform at their best, with no sore muscles or fatigue to hold them back. It tracks three main elements which include: Strain, which refers to how hard you are working on your body, recovery, which tracks sleep and heart rate, and your sleep data, which includes your sleep stages and disturbances. 

Generally, this band focuses on how hard the wearer is pushing their bodies during workouts, and how well they are recovering. Keeping track of these metrics means you can get the best results from your activities and prevent becoming injured or overtraining. 

Oura Ring 

This is a unique take on wearable fitness – if you are not keen on wearing a smartwatch on your wrist, the Oura ring may be the option for you! This device also focuses on rest and recovery and can be worn on any finger that you choose. It measures statistics like heart rate and respiratory rate and can also monitor skin temperature. It should be used alongside an app that collects your data for analysis, which you can view whenever you need to. You don’t need to be an athlete to benefit from this piece of tech either – it works well for anyone that would like to get better sleep and boost their general well-being. If your main goal is to get more efficient rest, the Oura ring could help you achieve your wellness goals. 

Biostrap 

The Biostrap looks like your standard fitness tracker and is worn on the wrist, but there’s no room for tracking calories and steps here! The Biostrap, like the Oura and the Whoop, focuses on recovery. Choosing to wear this band means that you will be able to get in-depth data into your heart rate variability values and your breathing rate with great accuracy, as well as your sleep. It is another great wearable that can tell you the optimum recovery period to suit you. Your band will let you know when you’re ready to take on another workout, and how well you’ve slept, compiled in a useful chart for comparison over time. 

Garmin 

This brand is one of the most popular when it comes to tracking your fitness. It is commonly used to allow runners to track and compare their performances – most recently, it has introduced a feature to help us to recover and perform at our best. The Garmin Forerunner 255 and 955 have HRV status, which is taken as you sleep. Your watch will then show you your average throughout the night. Garmin also features a training readiness score that considers your HRV, sleep quality and stress factors, to award you with a score somewhere between 0-100 each morning. This is perfect for determining whether you should head out for another run or put your feet up!  

Featured Photo by Julia Ballew on Unsplash