Kapsul Technologies Introduces Biomechanically Tested Protective Turtleneck Shirt for Athletes to Reduce Risk of Trauma
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Kapsul Technologies has designed a protective turtleneck shirt that supports an athlete’s neck and may reduce the risk of trauma.
Marketed as the Kapsul Atlas, the lightweight jersey embeds “Dynamic Neck Stabilization Technology” to protect the area between the player’s upper torso and head. Through joint research with the Canadian military and the University of Waterloo, Kapsul concluded that its product would be especially helpful for young athletes with muscular and skeletal underdevelopment, as well as female athletes who they perceive as having “longer necks and lower muscle density.”
The shirt/collar is designed to be non-obstructive and should not impede the player’s movement or neck mobility. As part of Kapsul’s proprietary research, Kapsul uses a clinically validated mannequin called an FEM (Finite Element Model), which is essentially an advanced test dummy. Often deployed by automakers, FEM enables companies to study the complex effects on a person’s soft tissue, bone structure, musculature, and body fluids following a high-force crash.
Another collar device, the Q-Collar, is also popular in contact sports such as football, lacrosse and soccer. The FDA-approved Q-Collar, worn around the neck, gently compresses the jugular vein and increases blood flow to the skull—theoretically limiting the dangerous movement of the brain after a severe impact.
Tony Pollard and Dalton Schultz of the Dallas Cowboys, Casey Toohill of the Washington Commanders and Meghan Klingenberg of the NWSL Portland Thorns are some of the notable athletes currently wearing Q-necks.