Fit or Fiction: Are Compression Garments Effective?

Do compression garments really help you get a superior workout or recover from a workout faster? --Charles, Porter, Maine

My friend Ralf Hennig, widely considered one of the best personal trainers in Westchester, N.Y., ran the Boston Marathon this past April in a scorching 3:08. A few weeks before the race, he began having foot pain and decided to try a pair of compression socks which are tight near the foot and gradually less tight as they reach the knee. The idea is that they constantly squeeze the muscles and drive blood back to the heart more quickly; this supposedly reduces swelling, increases performance and aids in recovery by speeding up the turnover of fresh blood and by sweeping lactic acid and other exercise waste products away more quickly.

Hennig wore the socks for a few days leading up to the race and during the race. He reported that they were comfortable, but ultimately doesn't feel they were helpful. He thinks his feet would have stopped hurting anyway simply because he was able to take a few days off from his punishing training schedule to give them a rest.

Curious to check out the compression garment trend for myself, I requested several pairs of Zensah compression socks and Leg Sleeves (these look like Spanx for the calves only, and work on the same principles as the socks) and distributed them to several dedicated exercisers I know. I chose Zensah because they are popular among runners and cyclists, and because frankly, I am attracted to shiny objects. These come in a variety of awesome colors including hot pink, neon yellow and bright green.

My friend Patty is a Double Ironman triathlete and nurse who probably should have been a scientist. She experimented with the socks by shaving one leg, leaving the other unshaven and then running a 5K race in them, just to see whether the socks cause irritation. Of the two, she liked the Sleeves better; they were snug but not constricting and offered a pleasant, steady pressure which didn't cut into the back of her knee like the socks did. And they didn't irritate either the hairy or smooth leg. (Hey, you have to think about these things!)

My friend Jordi, a Parkour athlete, runner and cyclist, wore the compression sleeves for a few hours one day and the socks to a boot camp class the next. After the first day's hard workout, she expected to have heavy legs for class, but to her surprise she felt strong. She can't swear that her energy explosion was due to the Zensahs, but the pink socks were definitely the hit of the class! She says she will continue to use the socks and sleeves for recovery but not during training until the weather is cooler.

As for the science, a new study out of Indiana University suggests wearing compression clothing has little influence on either performance or recovery. However, digging a little deeper into the results, it's interesting to see that the study subjects who felt favorably towards the socks in the first place showed significant improvement in certain aspects of their running performance. This might be because the socks and sleeves act like a psychological sugar pill for those who want to believe. Translation: They may not really help you, but if you think they do, then they will. Some investigators have found claims made by Zensah and other compression garment makers to be completely unfounded while others -- most notably William Kramer, a highly respected exercise physiology researcher -- give them a big thumbs up.

As for me, I tried a pair of sleeves during and after a killer hill workout. I have what one of my running friends fondly refers to as "The Pineapple Calves of Death" so the last place that ever gets tired on me is my lower legs. Usually my hamstrings are the first to go, but they felt pretty fresh during the run and I had no soreness the day after -- which I usually do. Can I say it was due to the sleeves? Who knows. But I like the way they look peeking out of the bottom of capris, so I will continue to wear them at least post-workout.

If you have trouble with soreness or circulation, I do recommend you give them a try. I've also been told by some hardcore runners that they help diminish the soreness some people experience when they wear barefoot running shoes.

If you try a compression garment out (or you already have) let me know what you think either here or on twitter.

For more info on muscle soreness, check out our post on easing muscle soreness with light exercise.