Why use compression gear for running?

More and more often, we see athletes from different sports using compression socks and sleeves.

Are compression devices really as effective as they say?

At first, compression socks were used by people with varicose vein problems, reduced mobility, and to prevent what’s known as economy class syndrome (higher risk of deep vein thrombosis).

Seeing the effects they produced, their use was expanded to sports

The sock applies decreasing pressure on the athlete’s leg (more at the ankle and less at the calf), helping venous return, reducing pain and recovery time.

How does it all work?

Better circulation means better oxygenation, which helps transport oxygen to the muscle and improves the removal of toxins produced during physical activity. On the other hand, it reduces the vibrations recorded during running in the calves and soleus muscles, right at the moment of impact with the surface, which later causes some muscle pain, cramps, and overloads.

It prevents heat loss in the area, without causing moisture retention. The socks are made of materials that allow sweat to evaporate without losing heat.

They’re made of elastic and breathable fabric, but there are also versions without any coating, used for recovery during the hours following training and competition.

Faster recovery is achieved. Muscle fatigue decreases thanks to proper venous return and the muscle oxygenation that comes with it, they help reduce swelling, lactate production during exercise is lower, and let’s not forget the cushioning effect against vibration caused by impact.

In some cases, an increase in performance has even been mentioned due to optimized oxygen in the muscle.

A hot topic, since some athletes say they’ve noticed differences, boosting their endurance, while others say they haven’t seen any improvement in performance.

• This topic has been studied scientifically, like in Kraemer’s research, which says using these types of socks improves leg power, maybe simply because they reduce muscle vibration.
• On the other hand, it’s been shown that athletes improve their economy (metabolic efficiency) by lowering oxygen consumption (VO2) when running at a slow pace (12 km/h), but not at higher speeds (14-16 km/h) (Bringard et al, 2006).

This leads us to conclude they’re more useful for athletes running long distances like marathons or maybe mountain races.