There has been little scientific evidence to say that compression improves performance and/or speeds recovery after an endurance event. How many of you use them and notice a difference? Is it a mental thing to where if you think you are recovering faster? Just wondering what everybody’s .02 was
I got a pair recently for free with an order from an online tri retailer so i figured I would give them a shot. I wore them on/after several mountain bike rides and while they were very comfortable, I cannot say that I noticed any differences in recovering. This definitely wasn’t the best test in the world, and I will continue to test them out for awhile, but nothing miraculous happened for me. I will update if anything changes…
I think so, and the full tights are even better.
I find that they do help, especially with shin splints. You can get a medical grade pair of coolmax progressive compression socks for $15 at AmesWalker.com (and they usually have free shipping), so it’s pretty cheap to try them yourself. Get 20-30mmHg for recovery. Personally I use calf sleeves so I can wear them multiple time between washings, and under my pants/dress socks at work.
I went with Zensah compression sleeves. Any time I have a run that’s especially hard on the legs, I throw them on underneath my jeans and wear them all day at work. Once I’m back I throw my legs into an ice bath for a few minutes. Right before bed, I’ll throw the compression sleeves back on and sleep with them on.
They may not have scientific evidence backing them up, but with that recovery plan, I’ve never had a 2nd day of soreness after said hard run. Fad or not, I’m definitely diggin’ mine.
X2 zensah all the way . I think I found them cheapest at the running warehouse. Thanks Scot!
I think data around improved performance is sketchy at best, but I think they are good to have for recovery. After a very hard trainer session yesterday my legs were screaming when I went to bed. I could not sleep, then I remembered and put on the tights. Fell asleep in just a few minutes. Whether or not they aided in recovery directly, who knows, however sleeping well does play a role and last night they made a difference. By the way, you can get them for a lot cheaper at a medical supply company (~$7.00)
I have a pair of compression tights for running, 2 pairs of compression socks and 1 pair of recovery compression tights. Here’s how I’d describe my experience:
Recovery tights - DEFINITELY HELPS. My legs always feel better than I thought they would after wearing these overnight after hard training. Mine are the SLS3 brand and they’re very tight (this is the key to good compression wear), such that I can easily feel the compression even after wearing them for many hours. Comfort wise they’re okay, as long as I put them on right (you’ll know what I mean if you get them).
Running tights - helps somewhat, but not as much as the recovery tights. Still, I’d say they’re worth it.
Socks - I have big calfs and so I think these help to dampen unnecessary muscle vibration. However, of all my compression gear, the benefit of compresison socks is the least tangible for me. I doubt these would help in injury prevention in any substantive way, although they may have some sugar pill effect, and I like wearing them for my long runs, just in case they do work 
Good running form is still key compression sock or no compression sock.
Hope the above helps.
For those with just the calf sleeves, do yourself a favor and only use them while working out. They’ll keep blood pooled in your feet greatly inhibiting recovery if you sleep in them.
I always like to sleep with my feet elevated Thanks for looking out for us compression sleeve wearers though…
I just picked up some Futuro dress socks. They have 20-30MMHG which is about the same as the Zoot and they feel just like the Zoot’s. They have them at CVS for $15 and 3M has a $3 off coupon on their website so at $12 it was worth seeing how it compared to the Zoot pairs I have.
If there has been little scientific evidence to say that compression improves performance and/or speeds recovery after an endurance event, why would you consider it?
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Yes there is evidence for their aide in recovery. I would go full socks or leggings. Skip Zensah, I found that they provide little to no actual compression.
I don’t have any scientific evidence either, but I don’t think scientific evidence should always determine whether you use/purchase a product. I bought a pair of CEP’s the night before my first marathon 2 weekends ago b/c it was going to be really cold and I didn’t have any tights. I wore them in the race and they felt INCREDIBLE. I’ve been wearing them after my hard workouts since then, and while I’m not sure they actually “do anything”, they sure do feel great. So having said that, I’m going to keep on enjoying my pair.
You’re good then. Most people don’t though.
I just got a pair from my dad for my birthday. I have been wearing them after hard or long runs, basically if my legs hurt I put them on… It hard to say how much they actually help in recovery, but they have certainly taken most of the pain and soreness away post run when I have them on. I find I cant sleep with them on though, I get this weird painful feeling in my achilles. I have only used them about four times now so havent completely made up my mind yet and its so hard to try an be objective when you get a new toy :DD
All in all I have been pleasantly surprised so far, I honestly thought I wouldnt notice any difference but that is not the case. I am even considering getting a pair of tights if these really work as well as they seem too. I mean even if they dont help enough so that you could workout harder,more frequently. I just like not having my calves be all sore and painful.
Here is a good study: http://www.scienceofrunning.com/2010/07/compression-socks.html
The conclusion: There is a place for compression socks I think. Are they the cure all, guaranteed to improve performance? Doubtful. But there is no magic cure all, so you shouldn’t be looking for one. But they might be able to help increase recovery/decrease soreness. I’d look at them as a tool to use that is similar to ice baths. They don’t need to be used every day, but pull them out when you need them after that killer workout, or before that important race. Remember that while reducing muscle damage is generally a good thing, sometimes we need that damage to be the trigger for adaptation. It’s only when we break down stuff that it gets built up.