Engineered design of compression athletic wear has been selectively applied in various recognized
Olympic sports and popular recreational activities. This recent development is, as one type of
additional body-behavioural support, protection and adjustment, plays a crucial role, in improving
the athletes' performances. Typically, this is accomplished by providing engineered design support,
pressure, and form-fit on targeted areas of athletes' body. In the present paper, a contextual model
including 5Ps (i.e. Physical, Psychological, Physiological, Psychophysical, and Psychophysiological
properties) related to user comfort and performance, has been developed to analyze multiple
relationships between the athlete, athletic wear, immediate body space and sports environment,
which would help us understand the effects of athletic wear on sports performance. The 5Ps
reference model explores the mechanisms of action of body-clothing-environment system from a
comprehensive view, thus effectively optimizing functional design of compression athletic wear in
practice to enhance sports achievement and comfort.
