Another compression socks thread - WHEN do you wear your compression socks

Triathlon Forum
41

Will be surprised to ever see runners using them in a cross country, especially if there is mud around.

I can confirm that there was exactly one athlete wearing them( out of about 500+) at the recent IAAF World Cross Country Championships, which I had the pleasure of attending in Edinburgh, Scotland. I should note that this is typically the largest gathering each year of the absolute best middle and long distance runners in the world so this is a quality group. It’s an interesting group to watch run - no watches, no HRM’s, no compression socks( well one athlete), no sun glasses, no hats and sometimes no shoes!! It’s about running, pure and simple. It’s a joy to watch.

Note this is not a knock against the socks, there does seem to be great applications and use for them with certain medical conditions. I am just noting that while racing, the absolute best runners in the world do not use them.

42

By chance, did you notice whether any of the runners wore compression clothing (socks, tights, etc) after their races?

43

By chance, did you notice whether any of the runners wore compression clothing (socks, tights, etc) after their races?

Don’t know as I did not see any of them out training and it was a cool day so, warm-ups where on before and then put back on, quickly after each race.

44

What kind did you wear? :slight_smile:

45

When aero bars first came out I had 2 pro bike racers tell me that aero bars were a fad.

That’s right. Bike racers are a very tradition-bound group. History has shown that time and again with all manner of technical developments.

The difference with aero-bars is that right from the get-go, there was proven performance advantages to using them - this was proven in competition and in the lab. To my knowledge, there are no such studies right now for compression socks. If there are, let them come forward.

46

For CEP you go by calf circumference and then match up shoe size. However, I have a size 12 Men’s shoe but my calf was a the mid range size so I wear that.

Based on your shoe size you’re in our biggest size: 45-47

I would definitely go with that size since you have a big foot. The 45-47 should fit you great unless you have a really skinny calf. You’ll just get less compression but I doubt your calf is small.

I hope that helps.

47

Compression socks in the realm of sports and running are a fairly new concept. It’s s big topic right now and I think a lot of athletes are starting to try them because they either have issues while running or want that edge.

They can really make a difference. Whether it’s for recovery or while running. CEP is designed for activity and recovery. Some of the others out there are mainly for recovery. Either way, the user will feel the difference.

48

those chicks are lovin his knee highs
http://www.triathlonshots.com/2008Wanaka/_DSC01740019.JPG
.

49

teddy mitchell always wore them, both for cross and road. still just one guy but not the only one I have seen…Of course, Teddy mitchell went from a 2:16 marathoner to a 21 minute 5k guy.

50

when i am post-surgery, and trying to prevent DVT’s.

that’s about the only functional, scientifically supported use they have.

51

Will be surprised to ever see runners using them in a cross country, especially if there is mud around.

I can confirm that there was exactly one athlete wearing them( out of about 500+) at the recent IAAF World Cross Country Championships, which I had the pleasure of attending in Edinburgh, Scotland. I should note that this is typically the largest gathering each year of the absolute best middle and long distance runners in the world so this is a quality group. It’s an interesting group to watch run - no watches, no HRM’s, no compression socks( well one athlete), no sun glasses, no hats and sometimes no shoes!! It’s about running, pure and simple. It’s a joy to watch.

Note this is not a knock against the socks, there does seem to be great applications and use for them with certain medical conditions. I am just noting that while racing, the absolute best runners in the world do not use them.

An interesting observation, but I’m not sure it’s completely relevant here. After that race, there were several articles on iaaf.org about the lack of european athletes in the race, and commissions meeting to discuss what could be done about that. If I recall correctly, something like 16% of the field were european, a huge drop off from less than a decade ago, and the race was in Scotland! You might expect there to be fewer euros at a race such as the 2007 champs, which were in Kenya, but in Scotland?

Anyway, this is just a long winded way of saying that if it is true, as the CEP rep above states, that the socks have caught on the most in Europe, then it would make sense that you didn’t see many at the world cross country champs. I would guess, and I don’t mean to make broad generalizations here, that when you get away from the top rung african athletes, such as Bekele, Dibaba, etc, that many of them have never thought of wearing a compression sock.

We had a recent bout of good luck here in the northeast with lots of running on TV. I got to watch the World’s Best 10k, the Carlsbad 5000, and the Boston Marathon. In each race I saw top competitors wearing some form of compression sock (no idea of the brand). Curiously, I believe all were women.

-Colin

52

…any longer posts by the CEP man and they qualify as short stories. One post of the same stuff would suffice, too.

We don’t try and compare ourselves to anybody and in the process try and make ourselves look better but since it seems important to you:

SLS3 offers:

graduated medical compression 20-30mmHg (average 24-26mmHg) starting at the ball of the foot,support of arch through compression material (no padding cuz that can’t be made with compression)Owned by a German-American company and manufactured in the USAAbility to wear the left sock on the right leg and vice versa - much quicker (and apparently rather rebellious)Cooling effect and SPF as well as anti microbial properties
We also make a point of supporting ALL of our dealers instead of naming one in a forum with a link which usually inevitably p***es off the others!
Furthermore we ONLY sell through our dealers, not direct, and we don’t undermine our dealers’ prices or sell under the table…

Sincerely,
SL

Compression socks are most effective because you’re dealing with venous return. If you simply wear a calf sleeve you will likely trigger swelling in the foot during a long run. Your veins bring the blood back to the heart and if you have more compression on the calf than you do the ankle you could do more damage than good.

Wearing compression socks, especially CEP because we measure calf circumference, you will get more compression in the ankle and optimal compression on the calf. The foot in our sock does have compression but it’s design is to simply bring the blood from the ankle area into the calf and allow it to move back to the heart faster. Your perforated veins are in the bottom part of your leg and these are what transfer de-oxygenated blood into the deep vein to be pumped back into the heart for oxygen and nutrients. You will get the lactic acid out of your leg faster.

Another benefit of CEP is how our compression is different from any other sock on the market. We have a patent compression on the calf and it improves arterial circulation. Click on the link to check out the studies we have done regarding these topics. It’s quite impressive:

http://www.cep-sports.com/Studies.8625.0.html

Overall you should definitely wear a compression sock that has more compression starting from the foot/ankle and gradually decrease as it goes up the leg. And with CEP you get this effect along with an added benefit in the calf for arterial circulation = more nutrients and oxygen to the muscle while you run = easier, faster run with quicker recovery. You can compression socks at the drug store but they are over the counter compression. CEP is MEDICAL GRADE COMPRESSION, 20mmHG. This will guarantee you get the effects of compression and dramatically improve your circulation while running and recovering.

CEP vs SLS3: CEP has a left and a right, padded achilles and foot for blister reduction, sized by calf circumference and is guranteed to last 6 months. Plus CEP is owned and manufactured by the WORLD LEADER IN MEDICAL COMPRESSION STOCKINGS, MEDI. (German Company)

I hope this helps :slight_smile:

CEP Compressoin Socks
www.trisports.com
www.cepsports.com

53

Battle of the SOCKS :slight_smile: lol

I’ll keep this short, maybe:

  • We only have one retailer in the U.S. right now so that’s WHY we post where you can get them. Once we have more we will focus marketing efforts through those businesses. When people contact our German office asking where they can buy them in the U.S. it’s important we spread the word any way we can. :slight_smile: AND… WE DON’T SELL DIRECT… When did you ever get that impression?

  • Our socks are graduated the same way with 20-30mmHg at the ankle but a different CONSISTENT compression on the calf.
    This was proven to increase ARTERIAL circulation. (See our website for studies: cepsports.com)

  • Padding on the foot has nothing to do with the SPANDEX inside that gives the compression. We add the padding after the sock is made from the bottom up. We’ve made compression stockings for 90 years so customers get the best manufacturing in the world. Padding prevents blisters.

  • Achilles and arch support. Have you ever worn the CEP and SLS3 side by side… you’ll notice the difference.

  • Left and Right means the sock fits you like a 2nd Skin. It’s not hard for you to see the L and R on each sock to put them on and if anyone takes more than 1 second to figure that out they shouldn’t be in the race :slight_smile:

  • CELL TEX fiber refinement that provides skin regeneration - Cooling effect as well

Facts are Facts… I go off of what people have told me about SLS3. I think it’s a great sock I really do but only for recovery. I get constant feedback that the foot and inseam on the toes will tear up your feet when running. If you wear them for recovery no problem but during the run it seems, from what I hear and have felt, they aren’t comfortable. If you wear CEP and SLS3 side by side you will notice a difference. However, both feel very similar in terms of material and compression.

All people can do is try them for themselves and make their own assesments. From there it’s up to the athlete.

Have a great day…

CEP

54

This is interesting, both socks have their own good qualities and problems. I have both CEP and SLS and have used both extensively.

55

With a recent calf strain I’m looking at getting a pair of compression socks to see if they help.

From your use what are the +/- of each brand? Have you ever tried any of the cheaper options? Thoughts on those?

56

For CEP you go by calf circumference and then match up shoe size. However, I have a size 12 Men’s shoe but my calf was a the mid range size so I wear that.

Based on your shoe size you’re in our biggest size: 45-47

I would definitely go with that size since you have a big foot. The 45-47 should fit you great unless you have a really skinny calf. You’ll just get less compression but I doubt your calf is small.

I hope that helps.

My calf is really small, however the large size was flexible enough to accommodate my big feets.

BR Dave

57

Every person you gave a free sample to gave positive feedback. Can I have a free sample please?

58

We have a lot of feedback from athletes that purchased CEP. You can go to Trisports.com and buy them at this point. Good luck!

CEP