Recovery has become the latest buzzword within the health and wellness community.
From stretching and cold tubs to pulse massaging compression sleeves, athletes are coming to realize that it’s not only what they do during competition that counts but also how they recover after a hard workout.
And so Under Armour, whose mission has long been to “make all athletes better,” has partnered with Hologenix, a company that has patented a new responsive textile technology called Celliant, on a new line of activewear that will hit the market today.
Under Armour began dabbling in this area when it introduced a sleep recovery system last year developed in concert with New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady that used a similar technology.
Topher Gaylord, senior vice president and general manager of the run, train and outdoor divisions of Under Armour, said the sleep recovery capsule collection that was produced last year did well and led the company to expand the offering.
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“We saw an incredible appetite for this product,” he said. “And that inspired us to expand out.”
The product launching today uses a different technology. Hologenix worked on its process for 16 years and received Food and Drug Administration designation in the summer 2017 for Celliant as a medical device and general wellness product.
Celliant — whose name is a combination of the words cell and reliant — is made from a proprietary blend of 13 natural minerals that are able to capture the body’s naturally emitted heat and reflect it back as infrared energy. That energy penetrates tissues and muscles and increases blood flow, which improves circulation, enhances performance, increases energy, strength and stamina, and promotes restful sleep, according to Hologenix chief executive officer Jim Calhoun.
“There are a lot of sports brands that only design product for the ultimate purpose of performance,” Gaylord said. “But we’re taking a more holistic approach and looking at all 24 hours of the day.” In addition to training and competition, this includes rest, recovery and nutrition, he said. “And we’ve been looking to fill the needs of all those silos.”
Gaylord said recovery apparel is “dramatically underrepresented” in the sports world and he believes there is a big white space for Under Armour to fill.
Celliant is “the most established and clinically tested technology in the industry,” Gaylord said, so it made sense to partner with this brand. As a result, all of Under Armour’s recovery products will now use it.
The Under Armour Recovery collection will include not only the newest iteration of men’s and women’s sleepwear — Henleys, joggers, shorts and crewneck shirts — but also hoodies, track pants and jackets, T-shirts, bombers, and compression leggings, sleeves and shorts for both genders. The women’s assortment also includes a sleep tank, jumpsuit, romper and layering pieces.
Prices range from $40 for the sleepwear short for women to $200 for a hoodie. Most of the other products sell for $100 or less.
Gaylord said Under Armour will launch a marketing campaign starting today on its digital channels as well as through its sponsored and team athletes and influencers. The product will also be promoted at retail at Under Armour’s retail fleet as well as its wholesale partners.
Under Armour believes there is “a lot more we can do in this space” and the product can be useful for both competitive athletes as well as “everyday people” who are health-conscious,” Gaylord said.
The activewear brand has the exclusive right to use Celliant in the sports apparel space, Calhoun said. Although the technology is also offered in “adjacent industries” such as bedding, mattresses, pillows and upholstery, this is the only apparel usage. “It’s a perfect marriage,“ he said of Under Armour. “They are our partners and there’s no reason to look for anybody else.”
He acknowledged that the “applicability of this technology is almost frighteningly broad,” and at some point it will be expanded into other products. But for now, Calhoun would rather explain the benefits of the process to consumers in “an easy to understand way” before moving into tailored clothing or dress shirts, for example.
“But as it succeeds, we expect more opportunities will come our way and we will look at adding partnerships when they make sense. But that’s a down-the-road process for us,” Calhoun said.