A high-intensity sport requiring agility, quickness, and flexibility is volleyball. You might have wondered why volleyball players wear spandex if you’ve watched any competitions. Why, in particular, are the shorts so short for women? Everyone seems to have an opinion about this. Some believe it’s done for sex appeal and to increase viewership. Some people think this is because young women today really prefer to flaunt themselves.
Others attribute the girls’ shorts’ existence to physics and history. Many sportsmen will not participate in any other sort of shorts, which may surprise you. We’ll go over the justifications for volleyball players’ use of spandex in their article.
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In Which Year Did The Volleyball Shorts First Appear?
The sport of volleyball was initially developed for men in the late 1880s. And it wasn’t until the 1950s that women started playing this game. In the 1970s, volleyball started to be played at the collegiate and high school levels. Female uniforms were also created at the same period, going against current trends. They included mid-length shorts and form-fitting but not too tight tops. Sounds right, doesn’t it? What transpired, then?
Well, many volleyball teams started using this man-made material in their uniforms as spandex became more and more popular in the late 1970s. Women were donning bun huggers both abroad and in the US. Bun huggers were spandex bottoms with a wide range of motion that resembled a bikini brief. These bottoms had the drawback of frequently riding up and getting caught in players’ buttocks, revealing more of their posterior than intended. Players didn’t however cut them off.
Rather than straight away, at least. Despite their drawbacks, these bottoms were utilized in volleyball for a long period. Most teams resumed wearing their previous shorts in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Shorts from the past are making a comeback!
Bun huggers weren’t entirely out of fashion. The majority of players, though, were relieved to no longer have to wear those uncomfortably exposed shorts.
Not long after, but this time a little bit longer, the spandex volleyball shorts resumed their crown. Many teams used to use 4-inch spandex shorts instead of the conventional ones. Players, however, switched over to 2-inch spandex shorts right once, complaining that longer shorts moved a lot. Shorter ones didn’t, but once again, they began to divulge too much and enter awkward situations. These days, spandex shorts are a standard element of the uniform for female players in the US.
Some schools, particularly those with a strong private religious foundation, continue to use the more conventional mid-tight shorts rather than the shorter ones. They assert that wearing short spandex volleyball shorts is against the dress code at their school.
Shorts for Volleyball are How Long?
Volleyball shorts come in a variety of lengths depending on the team and region. Inseams for women’s clothing now being worn range from 2 to 4 inches. The shorts can either be mid-thigh length or have a high cut to be considered “bun-huggers.” The FIVB allows women to don different uniforms in place of the short, form-fitting shorts. These include regular shorts, which ought to be 26 cm above the knee, and knee-length trousers, which ought to be around 3 cm above the knee.
These two bottom options each have matching tops as well. The typical size for men’s volleyball shorts is often up to the knee. Ideally, the inseams should range from 5 to 7 inches. However, this varies depending on the many regulatory organizations. For instance, according to the FIVB, men’s volleyball shorts cannot have inseams that are longer than 3.9 inches. At least 10 cm above the kneecap should be the length.
How Volleyball Players Can Get Help From Spandex?
Volleyball is a strenuous sport that involves a lot of activity. Imagine you have a split second to respond as a ball is thrown at you at a speed of 70 miles per hour. You lose the point if you don’t finish it right away. Spandex is useful in this situation. Players typically hop, sprint, roll, shuffle, and dive while playing volleyball. Therefore, they won’t likely perform as well if they don’t wear spandex.
Players may move quickly and easily around the court while wearing tight spandex and best volleyball shoes without having to worry about their shorts. For instance, while playing at such a high speed, regular shorts may even fall, but spandex does not. Similar to how shorter shorts might reveal areas of the body that players are uncomfortable with by being folded during play, traditional shorts are also more susceptible to tear than spandex. Therefore, there is no justification for female athletes not to wear spandex.
What Do I Put On Over My Volleyball Shorts?
No, you don’t have to wear anything underneath your volleyball shorts, is the quick response. Although it may seem unusual to the unfamiliar or uninitiated, forgoing wearing knickers beneath your volleyball shorts (also known as going commando) is actually a totally fine option and common practice. All compression-style shorts, including volleyball shorts, are made to be worn next to the skin.
As a result, while you’re exercising, the compression fabric may effectively wick moisture from your body. But not everyone has the desire to join the commandos. Perhaps you have to wear subpar volleyball shorts as a requirement of your team’s uniform, or perhaps it’s that time of the month.
How Can You Find Volleyball Shorts in Your Size?
If you play volleyball, you may be aware that it demands movement, but it’s important to understand the size of a typical volleyball. Yet volleyball dimensions differed from location to location and from team to team. However, you must be certain of the size guidance and the method by which you obtain it. The initial step is to examine the tap and gauge your hip-area length.
Additionally, knowing the length of your legs can help you choose a short that will support your body in the necessary ways. The size would be 2 inches for women and 3 inches for a medium in the interim. Just taking a measurement before playing volleyball is all that is required.
Volleyball Spandex Shorts Benefits
Today’s volleyball players use spandex shorts mostly for their flexibility. It seems that this material offers a wide range of motion. Players may move their limbs as quickly with it on as if they weren’t constrained by clothing because it is lightweight and unobtrusive. You probably already know that volleyball is a game that places a high value on the players’ range of motion. Players must catch balls that are either very low to the ground or very high in the air. Additionally, catching balls with conventional shorts will definitely cause the shorts to bunch up.
The best thing about spandex shorts is that they don’t bunch up in the middle of a game or get caught in awkward places. Since they are so tight, there is no chance that players’ knickers will be visible, which wouldn’t be the case with conventional shorts.
Additionally, I learned that spandex manages sweat better than conventional sports shorts, which helps me understand why spandex is recommended for volleyball. Players in high-action sports sweat a lot, however wearing spandex shorts can aid by minimizing this issue.
The majority of athletes also assert that spandex shorts are more comfortable than knickers. Therefore, spandex is a better option if you’re not ashamed of your physique, which is something no one should be! They inevitably improve agility.
They wouldn’t have been used on the international scene for so long if they were just popular because the game was made to be sexualized. Some teams would undoubtedly don different shorts that improve their performance because every advantage counts on the international stage.
In general, most volleyball players like donning spandex. They believe they are fashionable, modern, and most importantly, they guarantee improved movement. What’s best? You have many possibilities because they come in various colors and patterns.
Disadvantages of Wearing Spandex
Despite the many advantages of spandex fibers, there are certain “limitations.”
Consciousness of Heat
Spandex’s chemical make-up makes it sensitive to warmth fabric. The chemicals used to make spandex are the cause of its extremely low heat resistance. According to YarnsandFibers, who emphasized that the fabric can become warped after coming into touch with flame, clothing that contains spandex needs special care instructions since washing in hot water or pressing at high temperatures will permanently destroy the fabric.
Limited Breathability
Due to its hygroscopic nature and poor breathability, spandex-made clothing not only has low heat resistance but also retains moisture, sweat, and unpleasant odor close to the skin, leading to frequent skin rashes and other skin illnesses.
Affectation of the Skin
When you sweat while wearing spandex and volleyball socks with shoes, the dyes and formaldehyde in the fabric can be released, potentially causing contact dermatitis.
Since spandex cannot absorb sweat, moisture builds up and permits the entry of germs and other irritants into the skin. Additionally, it can turn into a breeding ground for bacterial or fungal infections, resulting in ringworm and other pigmentations as well as acute itchiness and allergic reactions.
It should come as no surprise that the harmful compounds in spandex can readily injure skin for those who have skin allergies. In fact, skin irritation can also be brought on by a sensitizer and a carcinogen. You may also get skin irritation from other rubber or rubber-processing chemicals added to fibers, which will contribute to your total pain.
Harmful to Health
In case you didn’t already know, polyurethane, a proven mutagen and carcinogen, is a chemical that is used to make spandex. Repeated exposure to polyurethane can harm the kidneys, liver, brain, and bone marrow, according to OneGreenPlanet.
According to Inkspire, prolonged exposure to polyurethane might aggravate the lungs and trigger asthmatic symptoms. According to Inkspire’s article, factory workers who are exposed to the fumes from the chemicals used to make this fabric have complained of several health issues, including nausea, stomach pain, and dizziness. It also stated that the chemicals used to make the fabric may cause headaches and brain swelling.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why Do Girls Dress in Spandex?
They feel at ease. Yoga pants stretch nicely and suit our bodies snugly, making them comfortable to wear all day and all night. They complimented the body’s shape admirably, especially the butt. As a result, girls of all shapes and sizes feel an increase in self-worth and self-assurance.
What Makes Spandex So Cozy?
This property of the substance elastane is even more astounding after comparing it to rubber. The supple spandex fibers take up little water and dry out again quickly. As a result, spandex-made clothing never appears uncomfortably wet.
What Sort of Temperature Spandex Has?
Spandex and gore-tex are the best types of sportswear for keeping warm while exercising in the cold. Wool and acrylic fabric performs the best at keeping you warm, followed by cotton and acrylic. According to science, cotton trousers will keep your body warmer than denim.
Does Spandex Absorb Sweat Well?
Spandex does not breathe at all, but because it is “moisture-wicking,” it conceals sweat even if it may contribute to its production.
Do Athletes Dress in Spandex?
In order to avoid chafing and rashes, athletes frequently wear form-fitting compression clothing, which is typically constructed of spandex.
Conclusion
There are various reasons why volleyball players use spandex shorts. For the best performance on the court, spandex gives a full range of motion, compression, and breathability. While some people may object to the use of spandex shorts, it’s vital to remember that sportsmen dress for their sport, and spandex shorts offer several advantages over conventional shorts in terms of functionality. Spandex shorts can help volleyball players attain both of these things, which is ultimately what matters most when playing.
Therefore, in my opinion, no one should be forced to play in short spandex if they don’t feel comfortable doing so. Women should be able to participate in games being played by males if that makes them feel more at ease. Additionally, Volleyball Mania provides helpful advice on how to choose the best spandex for a successful game.