Do compression garments work?
There has been a lot of talk about fitness on here of late. I came across this story and thought it was an interesting read.
Compression garments are all the rage, but do the often-hefty price tags make them a workout essential?
If you use a gym or even just walk around your local park, you have probably seen people wearing tight, long-sleeved tops or black leggings under their workout gear.
Compression garments (CGs) have been used for more than 50 years to prevent medical conditions such as deep-vein thrombosis on long-haul flights. Because they are proven to help reduce inflammation and improve circulation, it is hardly surprising that the technology has been adapted for use in the gym. But, with one pair of leggings often priced well over $100, are the results worth the cost?
<font size=“2”>How do compression garments work?</font>According to the manufacturers’ claims, the kind of CGs that average fitness folk wear work by supporting the muscles and increasing circulation by getting more oxygen to the area than usual. This results in a decreased build-up of lactic acid - the chemical that causes that burning sensation you feel after strenuous sessions - during and after a workout. This means CGs could help you last longer in the gym, on a run or in a weight-bearing class and make your recovery time shorter so you are back to your peak fitness levels much faster.
<font size=“2”>Are compression garments worth buying?</font>
NO
Fitness First personal trainer Evangelene Bird says, “For the price they’re sold at and the fact that there’s little evidence out there to show that they really cause a significant difference, I wouldn’t recommend CGs for your average person in the gym.
“There are several other processes that could make just as big an impact to your recovery at a lower cost.”
These include:
• Keep moving. If your muscles are sore and tired after a long run or from doing strenuous weight-bearing exercise, instead of opting for total rest, try walking or swimming instead for the next few days. Keeping your muscles active will help them heal faster.
• Take magnesium supplements. This mineral will help ease the soreness associated with muscle fatigue and aid recovery, meaning you will be back in the saddle or on the treadmill quicker.
• Relax. Have a warm bath with epsom salts to help soothe and relax tight and painful muscles. A massage will also do the trick.
MAYBEDr Rob Aughey, a senior lecturer in sport physiology at Victoria University’s School of Sport and Exercise Science, says, “When testing CGs in elite athletes, we found that wearing them did result in an improvement in the perception of pain and fatigue for the athlete. However, we found no evidence to suggest that the garments can help improve the actual rate of physical recovery.
“For people training at a professional level, where every little thing can help, I would say CGs are worth the cost. But, while they’re not going to hurt you, for the average person at the gym, your money could be better spent elsewhere.
Aughey says there are other things you can do to aid recovery. These include:
• Drink. For optimum recovery, you need to rehydrate your body by up to 1.5 litres of fluid for every kilogram of body mass lost in exercise. The quicker you do it, the faster your muscles will heal.
• Eat. After exercise you have about a 30- to 40-minute optimum window in which to replenish the carbohydrate stores you have used during your workout. You also need to include some protein to replace any that has been used up during exercise.
• Get cold. Up to 15 minutes immersed in 15-degree water can help you recover faster.
The cold also acts as a kind of analgaesic, which is why you see so many athletes in ice baths after matches.YES
Performance psychologist Paul Penna says, “If you believe that a compression garment is going to work for you, then it’s going to be worth the money.
“No-one believed that a man could run a four-minute mile until one did and then loads of people accomplished this seemingly impossible feat.
So much of what we do when it comes to fitness is about belief. Anyone can train for and run a marathon in six months, but they have to believe they can achieve it.”
He says some techniques to help motivate you include:
• Make a realistic plan. Preparation is key whether you are aiming to complete a triathlon or run five kilometres.Find good information sources online, talk to a coach or personal trainer and figure out what is going to be the best strategy for you.
• Push yourself. Get out of your comfort zone every day and extend yourself a little bit more. Mix up your training, join a club or train with a buddy. Just make sure you are always extending yourself.
• Have patience. Getting the kind of fitness levels you aspire to can take years. Focus on development rather than performance and set shortterm mini goals as well as long-term ideals.
I am a big YES to this.
I find I can ski for longer with them on with out leg burn and I also found it quite painful to be without them now for the drive home (snow to home).
All those arguments against don’t actually apply to me.
eg sure I wish I could move more but unfort I am forced to drive 5hours after skiing all day.
With the extensive training I am currently doing I can’t sleep on Saturday and Sunday nights due to leg cramps if I am not wearing my skins.
I asked this question yonks ago & still don’t believe they really make any difference, its just fashion and clever marketing. Even the maybe and Yes parts of that article agree. Buy a tight pair of bike pants from Rebel for $30 and they won’t be any different.
I read up on Skins when they first came out and were all the rage, people buying them left, right and centre. The only claims they actually make is that it improves recovery compared to not wearing anything.
We had a thread on this a while back but I can’t find it. In terms of the academic literature, opinion varies but there seems to be something of a consensus that they probably don’t help performance but they can help recovery. I wore the Aldi compression leggings all day until bed time while boarding during my recent trip and my legs did not get sore overnight (except in one specific spot near the end of the trip), although they were still a bit tired.
Meh placebo or not! I don’t care - $150 is not much over the lifetime i wear them! LOL
But last weekend I forgot them and I am sure my head didn’t make it up when I woke at 2am with leg cramps!
And Blizz saw me limping! That is not normal!
Its not about whether wearing SOMETHING works, cos that has been proven…its just that you needn’t wear the particularly expensive brand name somethings to get the same effect. I choose the bike shorts/aldi leggings route and save the extra money for lift passes! That is nearly 4 days of riding the selwyn park just in a pair of pants!
And Blizz saw me limping! That is not normal!
Yes we were both really worried about you on Sunday morning!!!
Its not about whether wearing SOMETHING works, cos that has been proven…
Ummmm yeah I think that is what this thread is all about!
I don’t care what brand you buy. But I am saying buy them!
I buy Under Armour and will continue to. I just gotta get some leggings which I will prob get this coming pay!
everyone has their own opinions and thoughts… thats cool. I say they defo do work, and are worth the money. I played a lot of basketball a few years ago and the skins were amazing!! and feel so lost without them during sport/training or snowboarding. For snowboarding I wear skins long pants and top as my thermals as well as to reduce soreness the next day and aid recovery. They are AWESOME!!!
When I saw the thread title I came in ready to post “I own a few pairs, wear them, they might help, but it’s probably placebo???”
From a skim through the article it seems to be along those lines.
I treat my compression tights as a base layer. I find them comfortable, they wick moisture and aren’t festy at the end of the day. If they happen to help the muscle fatigue/pain all the better.
Having said that I refuse to pay full price for them, I think the most I’ve paid is 50% off with some even cheaper.
On the other hand I don’t bother wearing them if I’m doing a legs day at the gym. I believe the best defence against problems on the snow is to get some fitness and strength into your legs before you even get to the snow and drinking lots of water when you can.
I’m an advocate. I wear skins when I play touch footy in the freezing cold mornings. My dodgy knees feel supported and legs feel warm. I usually don’t feel as much lactic acid build up after a sprint compared to when I don’t wear them.
My husband even sleeps in his leg skins after a muscle injury.
I’m unsure of the exact evidence based research done on how it improves circulation and reduces swelling etc, but from my personal and professional experience, it works 
Thanks for sharing your opinion Becky!!! great to have a physios point of view on the topic
I’m an advocate. I wear skins when I play touch footy in the freezing cold mornings. My dodgy knees feel supported and legs feel warm. I usually don’t feel as much lactic acid build up after a sprint compared to when I don’t wear them.
My husband even sleeps in his leg skins after a muscle injury.
I’m unsure of the exact evidence based research done on how it improves circulation and reduces swelling etc, but from my personal and professional experience, it works
what if you just wore $30 bike pants? think there’d be any difference? I’m about 85% convinced that there wouldn’t be.
I’m an advocate. I wear skins when I play touch footy in the freezing cold mornings. My dodgy knees feel supported and legs feel warm. I usually don’t feel as much lactic acid build up after a sprint compared to when I don’t wear them.
My husband even sleeps in his leg skins after a muscle injury.
I’m unsure of the exact evidence based research done on how it improves circulation and reduces swelling etc, but from my personal and professional experience, it workswhat if you just wore $30 bike pants? think there’d be any difference? I’m about 85% convinced that there wouldn’t be.
I’m with you cords, they seem to be designed the same with the same concept in mind, surely.