It’s race day. You stretch on your most intimidating compression gear, knowing that the extra slimming material and arbitrary flashy stripes (which you assume are doing the “compressing”) separate you from your lowly competitors. You know, the people who are only wearing regular spandex. But scientifically speaking, can you be sure compression gear is effective?
Kai Karlstrom, a triathlete and Tier Four Trainer at Equinox, says no. But that doesn’t stop him from wearing it.
“Everything about compression gear is anecdotal,” Karlstrom says. “All of the research that I have seen doesn’t prove that it actually has any effect; the blood, or physical markers of recovery, don’t show anything different. But muscle soreness and perceived recovery is a benefit that almost everyone feels.”
In other words, researchers say nothing proves that compression gear works, but everybody indicates that they feel better. “The research doesn’t prove anything, but that being said, I use mine.” Karlstrom says of his apparel.
While he says that research is inconclusive, there is heavy scientific rationale behind the functionality of compression gear. The pressure is supposed to improve blood circulation, delivering more oxygen to contracting muscles while allowing waste products, like lactic acid, to be pulled out.
“Gear with a specific amount of compression—anywhere from 15 to 35 millimeters of mercury (mmHG) of compression—functions on a few principles,” Karlstrom explains. “The main one is muscle pump, and/or venous return. When we stand for a while, blood can sometimes pool at the bottom of our legs, because blood has to fight gravity back up to our heart. When we wear compression gear, it helps constrict the blood vessels, or the veins, to aid in recovery of the muscles. When the blood flows better, waste products are pulled out in a better manner.”
According to Karlstrom, this compression process is most effective in the leg area, making compression tights better than compression arm sleeves. “I know they make compression gear for your arms and things like that, but I find the legs are where you get the most bang for your buck,” he says. “You need more compression the more distal you are from the heart. Your arms and your upper body don’t really need to fight gravity to get the blood returned, so I don’t really see a need for total body compression.”
When does he see a need to wear it? Before exercise, during, or after?
“I don’t wear it during workouts, but I do wear it post,” Karlstrom says. “Compression gear should be used as a supplemental part of recovery.”
He notes that recovery is the most overlooked aspect of training. “During training, all you’re doing is breaking your body down. No good things come from your training until the minute you’ve stopped; that’s when you actually start to reap the benefits. The most important aspects of proper recovery are diet, sleep, and myofascial release, or massage. Compression is just a supplement to those three things.”
As compression gear becomes trendier in the fitness world, athletes erroneously rely on it as a simple solution to pain. “It shouldn’t be a remedy for pain, and I think too many people are trying to use it as such,” Karlstrom says. “People don’t really know what’s going on in their bodies, so they find a simple solution, like putting on a sock. Never ignore the check engine light. You need to go see someone about these things.”
Karlstrom describes apparel like compression socks, tights, and sleeves as a form of passive compression. While he likes triathlon-specific brands of compression apparel such as SLS3 and Zoot because they are graded in different areas of the body, he says active compression is always more effective.
“Kelly Starrett, inventor of VooDoo Bands, uses this technique called tack and flossing,” Karlstrom explains. “More or less he takes a Thera-Band, wraps it around specific parts of your body, and creates a lot of compression in that area. He does things that mobilize the system, taking passive compression, and making it a little more active. If I had to choose, I would 100 percent every time choose the VooDoo Bands because of what you can do with them.”
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