CW-X Ladies CW-X 3 4 Stabilyx Tight

CW-X's Stabilyx running tights provide optimum, targeted support to your knees and body core. They're ideal for activities with lateral motion, such as skiing and snowboarding, and for athletes seeking a great form of knee support.

The patented Support Web bands together the muscles and ligaments of the lower leg to stabilize the knee and reduce vibration for increased efficiency. The CW-X Support Web also harnesses the midsection, supporting the lower abdominals, hips, and back to channel power through the core.

Variable compression facilitates circulation during and after activity, minimizing lactic acid buildup so that you can be active longer and recover faster.

The tights are anatomically engineered for each gender, providing comfort, ease of movement, and a better fit. A reflective "flash" and logo provide extra visibility for nighttime activities. The flat-seam construction eliminates abrasions, increases comfort, and enhances fit. Other features include a key pocket and a double-reinforced waistband with a flat-draw cord.

Fabrics
The 80 percent Coolmax, 20 percent Lycra four-way stretch fabric pulls moisture away from the body to the outside of the tights and provides a UV protection rating of UPF 40+.

About CW-X Support Web Technology
The patented CW-X Support Web technology mimics taping techniques that trainers apply to injured muscles. When this technology is applied to muscles and joints, it creates an exoskeletal support system that improves biomechanics during motion. The CW-X Support Web provides targeted support to key areas, decreasing muscle oscillation and focusing power so your muscles work more efficiently. Variable compression along the web facilitates circulation, minimizing lactic acid build-up and muscle soreness, so you can be active longer and recover faster. About Lycra and Coolmax
The genius at the heart of CW-X is an obedience to the structure of the body, made possible by two extraordinary fibers: Lycra and Coolmax. Coolmax moves moisture instantaneously from the body out to the fabric's outer surface, where it evaporates at twice the speed of cotton. So with CW-X Conditioning Wear, you remain cool at even the highest temperatures. When less energy goes toward cooling the body, more energy is left to help you excel. Lycra, on the other hand, possesses the unique ability to stretch yet retain its shape.

About CW-X Gear Technology
For 40 years, scientists at Wacoal Human Science Research Center in Kyoto, Japan, have studied kinesiology, the science of human movement. They have tested over 35,000 people and analyzed injuries relative to warm-up and cool-down periods. They have come to understand the mechanics of joints and muscles in minute detail. This exhaustive study of body movement has culminated in over 50 patents worldwide.

Below are some further studies demonstrating the performance-enhancing qualities of CW-X Conditioning Wear.

Human Science Research Center, Kyoto, Japan: Study of electrical pulse activity in muscles
Muscles firing into motion were measured electromyographically for subjects wearing CW-X gear, subjects wearing competitor products, and subjects with bare legs. Electrical pulse activity decreased in unsupported and partly supported legs during exercise, indicative of fatigue. Legs supported by CW-X showed a negligible decrease in electrical pulse activity.

Human Science Research Center, Kyoto, Japan: Study of stability, impact, and motion
In this study, high-speed video analysis was used to compare stability, impact, and motion in CW-X products and regular compression gear. CW-X Support Web tights were 10 percent more stable and balanced and absorbed 12 percent more shock to the knee than regular compression tights. CW-X Support Web tops allowed 9 percent greater range of motion for the arm than regular compression tops.

University of Montpelier, France: Study of VO₂ oxygen uptake levels
This study measured VO₂ oxygen uptake levels over the course of 15 minutes of running in CW-X gear, regular compression tights, and running shorts. CW-X Support Web tights showed 26 percent less oxygen use than regular compression tights and 36 percent less oxygen use than traditional running shorts, indicating lower energy expenditure.

About CW-X
Japan's Wacoal Corporation, the world's largest manufacturer of intimate apparel, has spent half a century creating clothing born of a deep understanding of the body. Combining its scientific knowledge of the human anatomy with its experience in complex fabrications and apparel design, the company first entered the performance sports apparel market in Japan in 1991 with CW-X Performance Conditioning Wear. Recently the company launched the CW-X brand in the U.S. market through the newly formed Wacoal Sports Science Corporation.

Wacoal Sports Science, headquartered in New York City, is a wholly owned subsidiary of Wacoal International. The company's mission is to meet the sports performance needs of the active U.S. consumer through the CW-X brand, the world's first truly anatomically engineered high-performance sports apparel.

Owner Reviews, Ratings, Comments and Criticism
If you're going to be logging long miles (ie marathon training) then these tights will be a very useful foundation piece for your running wardrobe. The 3/4 length makes them versatile, I have comfortably run in them in weather ranging from 30-60 degrees F. I usually toss a pair of running shorts on over these, but only because I run along the road and prefer having a bit more coverage over my posterior. There is no problem with chafing at all as long as you remember to actually tie the waist, otherwise they may slip down slightly. My legs feel like they are getting better circulation with the compression from these tights, and the firm support across the abs and lower back is a reminder to watch my posture and form. I've been able to run 4 or 5 miles the day after doing a leg workout, and the nagging soreness went away during my warmup. I tend to sit around the house in these for at least half an hour after cool down, and stretch and enjoy the way these feel. These are too expensive for me to justify more than one pair, so I rinse mine out in the shower with me, and they are dry by the next morning. I toss them in the washer about once a week (after 4 or 5 runs), and they're holding up beautifully. I was skeptical about purchasing these, but had heard enough positive reviews that I tried them, and I have been very happy with that choice. Updated March 2011: My tights are still holding up almost two years later, and I've added the CW-X Insulator Stabilyx to the winter rotation. I love my CW-X tights!