Compression clothing is pretty en-vogue right now. From top athletes to weekend warriors, we’ve embracing the tight clutches of compression socks, leggings, sleeves and even full body wear to increase performance and recovery.
But… The million dollar question is, does it actually work?
So, rather than taking the word of sports companies who will, naturally, extol the virtues of their wares, we’re going to delve into the reality of compression clothing. And the first thing we need to understand is the science behind the apparel that can be seen sported by athletes from Adelaide to Darwin…
The techie bit…
So most of us are aware of flight socks. You know, those oh-so-sexy long socks that we’re told to wear whenever we go on a long haul flight (and living in OZ means pretty much all destinations are long haul). The whole point of wearing these is because they compress the muscles of the legs during a prolonged period of inactivity. This has the effect of also compressing the diameter of the veins within the legs. This increases the pressure in the vessels, helping to lessen the likelihood of blood pooling and effectively being pumped back towards the heart.
Wearing compression clothing during or after working out has exactly the same effect. And, according to the manufacturers of such items, can increase both performance and recovery.
In addition, there might also be a positive psychological effect, which we’ll delve into in just a moment.
But before we start to look at any proof behind these claims it’s necessary to understand this: studies into how such clothing affects performance are still few and far between. And pretty much all of those undertaken only utilised a small subject group – typically around 10-20 people.
Sure, clothing manufacturers have created their own ‘studies’ into the effectiveness of compression clothing. However, since they stand to gain from positive conclusions then it’s probably safe to say that the results might be somewhat subjective.
So  for the following we’ve concentrated on totally independent analysis that would have no reason to skew any results.
Athletic performance
It might surprise you to know that there’s little evidence to show that wearing compression clothing during exercise has any effect. Although sports clothing creators claim that supporting the muscles and assisting venous return might help with the supply of oxygen to the muscles, there are few independent studies to support this.
However, one small scale study carried out in 2013* suggests that there might be some small increase in athletic performance in certain given situations. These include short duration sprints, vertical jump height and extending the time to exhaustion.
Most other studies suggest there is little to no positive aspect of wearing compression clothing while undertaking activity.
Post workout results
Now, this is where it all changes, and seems to be the area where compression clothing comes into its own.
One example of such a study was carried out in 2018 by the Journal of Human Kinetics**. It showed benefits that included a decrease in post-workout muscle soreness and a potential reduction in swelling when sitting or standing for long periods after exercise. It also appears to facilitate the elimination of lactate and have a positive effect on exercise-induced muscle damage. And that, for any level of athlete, is something we all want to achieve.
The psychological effect
There’s also a field of thought that wearing such clothing has a positive mental effect that helps with performance. In other words, it’s the power of positive thinking. Now, while we can’t provide any scientific proof behind this, if it feels like wearing the clothing improves your performance, then there really is a chance that it might do so.
Much investigation is still to be carried out into the effects of wearing compression clothing. As research currently stands (and validated in a study carried out by sports firm, Nike) the use seems to have little effect when worn during activity. But it may well help post-exercise recovery and reduce the risk of injury.
For individual advice on whether or not compression clothing could up your game it’s always worth talking to an expert. The professional staff at Bailey Fitness gyms, located throughout WA, will be very happy to chat with you about it. In addition, they’re the perfect go-to team to dial up your fitness efforts, whatever your goal might be. From weight loss to performance training, and with gyms that offer state-of-the-art equipment, the ethos behind their gyms is to encourage you to become the fittest and healthiest you can, but without having to sell your soul to the gym to do so. Find out more at baileyfitness.com.au or pop in to one of their locations for friendly discussion about your personal fitness needs.
