If high quality sportswear can improve performance in human athletes, then it technically should work for animals as well.

如果高品質的運動服能讓運動員如虎添翼，那么按理來說這種方法也應同樣適用于動物。

Testing this theory is UAE-based camel and horse luxury products company Al Shibla. They recently launched a line of lycra-style outfits for camels, and they claim that the bizarre product has already garnered tremendous interest among stable owners in the Middle East.

阿拉伯聯合酋長國一家生產馬和駱駝奢侈用品的公司Al Shibla近日將這種想法付諸實際，推出了一款為駱駝量身定做的萊卡布（強力彈性纖維）衣服，公司稱這種新奇產品在中東已經吸引不少駱駝場主的極大興趣。

Made of soft, thick material that covers the body, the suits improve blood circulation by slightly constricting blood vessels. Worn before and after training, it increases blood and oxygen supply to the muscles, reducing the lactic acid build-up that causes cramping. The animal is covered entirely, except for the head and neck.

這種能包裹住全身衣服的面料既柔軟又厚實，對血管的輕度壓縮可促進血液循環。因此，在訓練之前或之后穿上，可提高肌肉的血液和氧氣供給量，從而減少會導致抽筋的乳酸含量。這款衣服除脖子和頭部會覆蓋全身。

Designed for use before and after races, the special leotards are meant to serve a dual purpose. “The full body suit can help racing camels run faster, while the cream of the species entered into camel beauty contests will have the ability to stand taller after using the suit,” the company wrote in their sales pitch.

這款設計為賽前和賽后穿著的特制緊身服具有雙重功能。“在賽跑時覆蓋全身的衣物有助于跑得更快，在選美比賽時又會讓駱駝變得更高。”公司在產品簡介中這么寫道。

The suits can also be used during transportation, when camels tend to lose a lot of weight due to stress hormones working overtime.

這件衣服還可讓駱駝在運輸的行程中穿上，由于壓力激素作用時間過長，駱駝在運輸過程中會減少很多體重。

“We can compare it with the compression socks we get in the hospital. It activates the blood circulation in the muscle,” Wolter added. “If there’s a health problem, people usually just call the vet and ask for an injection, but there are physiotherapy treatments, and the compression suit is a physiotherapy treatment.”

“我們可以將其與醫院的緊身襪做比較，緊身襪能促進肌肉的血液循環，”沃爾特補充道，“如果動物有健康問題，人們通常求助于獸醫并要求注射藥物，但除此之外還有物理療法，而緊身衣就是一種物理療法。”

The company launched the full body compression suit at the Al Dhafra Camel Festival in December, after months of designing the product to perfection. It was especially difficult to make a suit for camels, because unlike horses, they rest on folded knees with their breasts rubbing against the ground. So they had to use extra thick durable material for those parts. The suits aren’t ready-made, but will be tailored to fit each individual animal.

2014年12月，經過數月盡善盡美的設計后，該公司在阿聯酋駱駝節當天發布了這款全身緊身衣。為駱駝制作衣服的難度非常大，因為駱駝和馬不同，當它們彎下膝蓋休息時，乳房會與地面摩擦，所以他們不得不在這些部位上使用更耐磨的厚布料。此外，這些衣服并非現成，而是會根據不同駱駝的體型做出調整。

The suits are quite expensive at Dhs 3,500 (almost $1,000) apiece, but Wolter says they are worth the price. “If you ship a camel from the UAE to Saudi or Qatar, it can lose 15kg to 30kg because of stress,” she explained. “Our research and testing has shown that we can get that down to about 7.5kg to 10kg by wearing our outfits. In addition to that, the outfit is like a thrombosis sock. It squeezes the muscle and ensures circulation.”

這款緊身衣單價高達3500迪拉姆（約合5900元人民幣），但沃爾特表示物有所值。“如果你將一只駱駝從阿聯酋運到沙特或卡塔爾，它會因心理壓力而減少15至30公斤的體重，”她解釋道，“我們的研究和測驗已經表明這款衣服可以將這個范圍縮小至7.5至10公斤。總之，這款衣服就像一只抗血栓襪，能擠壓肌肉并確保血液循環。”

Vocabulary

lycra: 萊卡

lactic acid: 乳酸

physiotherapy: 物理療法

compression suit: 緊身衣

ready-made: 現成的

thrombosis: 血栓癥

（譯者：佳木China 編輯：祝興媛）