Sweet Smelling Workout Clothes

By Kirby Adams

If you're soaked with sweat after a power-packed workout, you're not alone. And chances are, gliding on deodorant doesn't always do the trick. Now, there's athletic gear that promises to help you catch a whiff of a pleasant scent while you work out. (Now I haven't had the chance to put this product to the test. But I plan to because I like to smell good. I really do; I spend way too much money on things that smell pretty.)

Companies have finally perfected the technology and how to apply it into all sorts of garments. Want to mask that odor with scents like peppermint and lavender? Then aroma-infused apparel may be for you.

According to textile experts the fabrics actually contain tiny fragrance capsules. When you have friction of the textile, the little capsule breaks open and releases the fragrance molecules. Reebok has a ‘zan chi' aromatherapy tank, which it claims will energize you.

If scented garments aren't for you, don't sweat it. The big trend: athletic wear treated with stench fighters, like activated carbon, which works by absorption. It's pretty much the same way you would use a paper towel to wipe up a spill off of the counter. There's also clothing infused with silver. It works a bit differently. Think of the over-the -counter medicine Neosporin.

You put Neosporin on your cut as an anti-microbial to retard the growth of bacteria. The same thing is happening on the fabric. Both Patagonia and Adidias have shirts that fight bacteria with silver or amino acids.

Odor-fighting fabrics typically cost between $25-$50.

Of course I worry that I will wash those odor fighters down the drain. But the manufacturers say activated carbon and silver are typically woven right into the fabric. As for aroma-infused clothing, they say throwing it in the laundry could break open some of those tiny fragrance capsules, but the clothing should have enough capsules that you won't need to. I'll have to put one through a few test washings and let you know.

Team Crusade Update:

Team Crusade is recruiting runners and walkers who have always wanted to take part in the Triple Crown of Running.  It's simple to sign up — write to me with your name, age, gender, address, and a little bit about your fitness level, like what you do now to keep fit, or what you would like to do to keep fit in the future.  E-mail it to TEAMCRUSADE@whascrusade.org .

In the past, we have specialized in first time runners and walkers, but through the years we've had so many eager members from years before want to rejoin us that we now welcome everyone, no matter what your ability level. 

You can always find someone close to your ability level for your training runs when we meet at Fleet Feet on Bardstown Road. If you are a novice we'll fill you in on what you need to know. Plus Fleet Feet has some great information seminars in the evenings during the training seasons. This is a pretty low key, as in non-competitive, team. You are asked to raise $250 for the Crusade for Children. In return, we pay for your entry into the three triple crown races and I will try to twist (KHF editor) Barbara Day's arm to come in and talk to us about nutrition a couple of times because that has always been one of the most popular seminars during Team Crusade. 

The races are starting earlier in the year than last year, so we'll need to start training earlier too (after the holidays). I'll e-mail out that information in the coming weeks. In the meantime, jot down in your new 2007 calendar the Triple Crown Races.

The races include the March 3 Anthem 5K Fitness Classic run/walk, the March 17 Rodes City Run (10K) and the March 31 Papa John's 10 Miler.

For complete information on Team Crusade's training, log on to whascrusade.org . You are welcome to e-mail me questions at teamcrusade@whascrusade.org       

Kirby Adams is the consumer reporter for Kentuckiana's News Channel WHAS-11, Team Captain for Team Crusade and a sports and fitness buff. You can e-mail Kirby at kirby.adams@whas11.com. Kirby is also a member of Kentuckiana HealthFitness' Editorial Advisory Board.

If you know of a little “GEM” or a story, you would like to share it with our readers, drop me a note about it to:

Kirby Adams
WHAS-TV
520 West Chestnut St.
Louisville, KY, 40202