I came across the recent NPR article discussing compression performance wear, and thought it would be interesting to hear from those among us who wear them.
The long held belief is that the socks increase blood flow and thus aid in recovery time. They have been used in the medical industry for many years to help treat patients with vein disorders, diabetes, and several other vascular issues. But do they really work?
According to the study discussed at NPR, there was no quantifiable differences between a group who wore, and those who didn't. The only difference came in two individuals who had a pre-conceived belief that they were in fact beneficial.
After doing a quick literature search though, there are other papers, that don't come to the same conclusion. For instance, one found that runners were able to hit a faster speed during a max aerobic fitness test.
So, what do you guys think? As prime marathon season approaches, do any of you wear them? Do you think it helps? I personally have always been curious about them!
I feel like if I could find a slick pair of bright neon orange, I might give them a shot too 🙂
Whenever I see people with them, I automatically think they are super-serious runners. It could be someone’s first time jogging, but if she has compression gear on, to me she looks like a competitive athlete! But maybe that’s me thinking that if someone is willing to spend the money, they must be serious about running. I would have to learn more about them to see if they’d be something I’d actually find beneficial, but then we’d be talking about me running more than a half marathon . . .