Wednesday
Nov052008
Can Your Socks Make You Faster? By Joe Friel
Wednesday, November 5, 2008 at 12:00PM
This was the Year of the Compression Sock at the Hawaii Ironman. In past years they were evident, but this year they seemed to be everywhere. The users say they improve their performance by:
* improving venous return to the heart,
* preventing muscles from moving unnecessarily as with excess vibration meaning less fatigue, and
* speeding recovery.
They also claim that wearing them on long flights as when going to Hawaii reduces leg and foot swelling due to fluids pooling in legs.
Elastic compression stockings have been around for a long time and used in the treatment of several leg conditions such as blood clotting in deep veins (“thrombosis”) and faulty valves in the veins with weakened vein walls (“varicose veins”). The research generally supports their use for such injuries, but do they improve athletic performance such as the claims made above?
To try to answer that question I scanned more than 700 studies of the stockings looking for any that looked at their benefits during exercise at any level. Nearly all of the studies used subjects suffering from either thrombosis or varicose veins. When it came to exercise benefits in this population the results were mixed. The benefits for athletes may not be the same as for these unhealthy subjects. But there may still be some insights. Click here to read more about what I discovered!
About the author:
Joe has trained endurance athletes since 1980. His clients have included elite amateur and professional road cyclists, mountain bikers, triathletes, and duathletes. They have been from all corners of the globe and included American and foreign national champions, world championship competitors, and an Olympian.
Joe is the author of The Cyclist’s Training Bible, Cycling Past 50, Precision Heart Rate Training (co-author), The Triathlete’s Training Bible, The Mountain Biker’s Training Bible and Triathlon: Going Long (co-author), and The Paleo Diet for Athletes (co-author). He holds a masters degree in exercise science, is a USA Triathlon and USA Cycling certified coach, and is the past Chairman of the USA Triathlon National Coaching Commission. He is a featured columnist for Inside Triathlon and VeloNews magazines, and writes feature stories for other international publications and websites. He is also the founder and President of Ultrafit Associates, LLC and Training Peaks, LLC.
Ask a question of your own! If you have a question for the experts, submit it here either by emailing asktheexperts@peaksware.com or by posting it on our message boards. Your question could be featured in our next blog!
* improving venous return to the heart,
* preventing muscles from moving unnecessarily as with excess vibration meaning less fatigue, and
* speeding recovery.
They also claim that wearing them on long flights as when going to Hawaii reduces leg and foot swelling due to fluids pooling in legs.
Elastic compression stockings have been around for a long time and used in the treatment of several leg conditions such as blood clotting in deep veins (“thrombosis”) and faulty valves in the veins with weakened vein walls (“varicose veins”). The research generally supports their use for such injuries, but do they improve athletic performance such as the claims made above?
To try to answer that question I scanned more than 700 studies of the stockings looking for any that looked at their benefits during exercise at any level. Nearly all of the studies used subjects suffering from either thrombosis or varicose veins. When it came to exercise benefits in this population the results were mixed. The benefits for athletes may not be the same as for these unhealthy subjects. But there may still be some insights. Click here to read more about what I discovered!
About the author: Joe has trained endurance athletes since 1980. His clients have included elite amateur and professional road cyclists, mountain bikers, triathletes, and duathletes. They have been from all corners of the globe and included American and foreign national champions, world championship competitors, and an Olympian.
Joe is the author of The Cyclist’s Training Bible, Cycling Past 50, Precision Heart Rate Training (co-author), The Triathlete’s Training Bible, The Mountain Biker’s Training Bible and Triathlon: Going Long (co-author), and The Paleo Diet for Athletes (co-author). He holds a masters degree in exercise science, is a USA Triathlon and USA Cycling certified coach, and is the past Chairman of the USA Triathlon National Coaching Commission. He is a featured columnist for Inside Triathlon and VeloNews magazines, and writes feature stories for other international publications and websites. He is also the founder and President of Ultrafit Associates, LLC and Training Peaks, LLC.
Ask a question of your own! If you have a question for the experts, submit it here either by emailing asktheexperts@peaksware.com or by posting it on our message boards. Your question could be featured in our next blog!
Reader Comments (3)
Hey Joe,
I am glad you covered this topic. I have heard a lot of hype about compression tights etc mainly for recovery.
I decided to invest on some in both full length and shorts version. Like you mentioned I too found a huge variance in prices. I decided to go for a mid priced version to try them out and if they were a benefit buy more expensive ones later. My verdict it after using them for a couple of weeks including sleeping in them and wearing them all day at work.....
Is save your money, I found minimal if any benefit from either the shorts or full length compression tights. Admitedly the more expensive ones MIGHT be better but i'm not about to fork out any more money in this department.
Keep up the great work.
Darren
Joe,
Earlier this season I asked a buddy of mine who is a 4 time olympic speed skater and world champion(KC Boutiette)who happens to own a bike shop as well if he could order me a pair of 2xu compression tights. He told me don't do it save your money and go out and a pair of $30 medical grade compression tights. I said you mean old people tights, he said yes. He told me he has used them for years and they work great when it comes to recovery and travelling to events.
So I took his advice and and bought a pair of medical grade stockings. I don't remember what the mmhg was but they are quite a task to get on. The first time I used them was Febuary 2008 right after an early season half marathon that I ran. After that race I could barely walk and had the hardest time going up and down stairs for days. Just 2 days after the half marathon I flew to Boulder to meet my coach and do some testing at Gordo Byrn's Edurance Corner, which at the time was located in his home. The night I arrived in Boulder I still couldn't walk right. But I had been wearing my tights. The day of the test I thought it was going to be a lost cause. But much to my surprise I tested well and felt great during the test. Since that point I have been hooked on wearing stockings. I have used them all throughout my season and I am currently wearing a pair in preparation for a half ironman that I have in a few days.
I have found that they are great especailly after hard workouts like speed work. They are also great after my long workouts. Many times after a hard run I will get some ankle pain and shin pain in my legs. As soon as I can I put my stockings on and feel much better. I noticed that they also help provide me with some stability after these hard workouts. For example when I experience pain my legs I put the stockings on and have a much easier time walking around and going up and down stairs. There have been times when I don't wear them after hard workouts for some reason and have a very difficult time going up and down stairs and experience major instability in an ankle or both when going up and down stairs. As soon as that happens I go and put them on and feel 30% better right away. Instantly walking up or down stairs becomes less of a hazard. They make a huge difference. I also noticed that they help a great deal when you are experience twitchy legs while lying down.
I am just one man with one opinion but I fully believe in full length medical grade compression tights. I am an athletic trainer with a cscs and refer all my clients to purchase a pair. Everyone that I refer to get pair loves how they help them recover. I have also noticed that although everyone that I refer to a pair loves them it doesn't work the same for everyone. Some feel the benefits more than others but everyone feel enough benefit to keep wearing them.
Hope this helps.
Ryan
I'm trying to change my running style to more of a forefoot strike and my calves were really sore to the point of skipping workouts. My running store suggested calf compression sleeves and they have made a tremendous improvement. I wear them during and after workouts. I'd guess soreness is reduced 50-60%. Anything remaining responds well to ice. I've ordered some socks more for travel, but I'm sold on calf sleeves.