Compress Yourself

A Tight Squeeze...

Last year I was crippled by the pain of shin splints which put my best laid training plans out of the window for a good few months. As a result, come the summer season I was less than at my best and constantly worrying that the dreaded splints would rear their ugly head once more. All I could do was ice, rest and pray they would not hinder me again. It was through lack of being able to run as much as I would like that led me to the joys of cross training, triathlon, duathlon and consequently my faithful compression socks.

I started swimming and cycling in order to compensate for lack of running and to keep my fitness levels up. I entered the London duathlon and saw a vast population of athletes wearing some rather fetching black and grey knee length socks. Upon trawling round the small expo in search of kit and sporting trinkets to further my sporting prowess, I fell upon the black and grey socks.

What indeed was the mass appeal of them and more importantly, why should I part with £35? The kindly sales man informed me these were compression socks...'Ah, but would they cure my recurring shin splints?'...'Yes, they will certainly help'. OK then, purchase done and dusted. It definitely helps that Chrissie Wellington swears by them, maybe one day I too could break my own world record, beat the majority of men in a race and finish 20 minutes ahead of the next female competitor? Doubtful, but I was willing to give them a try.

These socks have worked absolute wonders for me. I can happily say that I have been almost a year without shin splints and I thoroughly owe some of this success to my trusty 'Compress Sport' R2 compression socks. I started off doing all my training runs in them and also wearing them during recovery for around 30 minutes after finishing exercise. I would thoroughly recommend them to anyone who suffered from the same ailment but also in a more general sense as compression clothing has been proven to have many benefits:

Thermoregulation

Your body will operate best when at the right temperature. Muscles must be kept warm for optimal performance and to avoid injury, however overheating is just as bad; it puts stress on your heart and slows your reactions.

The main difference between compression and regular clothing is its ability to efficiently remove perspiration from the skin. This is achieved by the use of moisture wicking fabrics and the garments tight fitting nature. Unlike other breathable garments such as quick dry t-shirts, you do not get perspiration pooling on the skin. This means that in hot climates your body's cooling system continues to work efficiently and in the cold you are not wearing wet clothing, therefore you will stay warmer.

Reduced Muscle Oscillation 
Every time we move our muscles move too. When they do small tears appear within the muscle tissue. The presence of these tears along with the build up of lactic acid is what causes muscle pain both during and post exercise. By reducing the rate at which this damage takes place we are able to work for longer and experience less pain following training. The principle behind stopping body shake is old and probably the best example is the wearing of sports bras. Now with the elastic properties of compression garments, the same sort of support is available for the rest of the body. This is the reason that compression garments must be firm fitting.

Increased Circulation 

This is the main benefit that is advertised by manufacturers of compression clothing. The reason for this is that increased circulation is what is claimed to give benefits in performance. By speeding up blood flow food is provided to muscles faster and waste products such as lactic acid are removed more efficiently. This means that you should experience a higher level of performance and faster recovery times when wearing the garments post exercise. This in turn will allow you to train harder in your next session.

Increased Proprioception 

Our body's proprioceptors help us to know where our arm is in relation to the body or your foot in relation to the ground. By wearing a garment that is effectively a second skin, these senses are heightened. This is achieved through the contact with the skin and the elastic properties of the fabric. This is the same principle used by medical professionals when they apply strapping or a compression bandage to a joint injury, not only do they add support but they help you to become more aware of your range of movement.

The Compression T2 socks supported my legs and served to boost circulation and clear waste products from my muscles. Many athletes will sleep in compression clothing or wear it underneath normal clothes to aid in recovery. I have certainly been known to wear my Compression socks underneath my jeans when I am feeling particularly fatigued after a hard session. I would recommend everyone should 'compress themselves' at least once!


http://compressport.uk.com/blog/