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Compression Clothing
Clothing for heightened agility, reduces fatigue.
Items can also vary in pressure ratings or graduated pressure throughout the compression garment to improve blood flow to the heart.
How it works.
Maximum amount of pressure at furthest away from the heart and reduction in pressure towards the heart working on the principle
Panels designed for muscle stability.
Manufacturers claim that compression clothing increases blood circulation and reduces fatigue.
Research from sports institutes have found evidence that compression clothing helps with quicker recovery. 2XU clothing claim to prove that
Compression sports wear is Not the same as medical compression clothing as they are designed much differently.
How it works?
Studies have shown an increase in venous blood flow in the lower legs resulting in improved cardiac out put.
The ability while wearing compression clothing to maintain more repeated efforts but NOT maximum out put. Athletes using compression clothing have found that delayed fatigue in non power based exercise. Some athletes claim to have a slightly lower heart rate for the same effort wearing compression shorts or tights.
One study showed that reduced lactate levels when the athlete used compression clothing.
Recovery can also come from quicker sweat transfer from your sweat glands skin to the compression clothing which would speed up recovery. Increases in skin and core temperatures create fatigue which can be reduced by wearing compression garments.
What is Proprioception?
Proprioception is the awareness of the body position, posture and muscle movement. More in tune with your body often lost during fatigue in strength and endurance events. When you move signals are sent to the brain about the joint ligaments tendons and small structures found in the muscle connected to the spinal cord. Acceleration movement position tension is other information
An unwanted movement or force causes a proriceptors to react in a millsecond!
An example of this is the knee jerk.
Trained athletes have improved proprioceptive reflex actions
When and How?
Compression clothing can be worn during exercise and after to speed up recovery and injury.
Wearing calf guards during running can reduce muscle shake resulting in less soreness and soon as you finish your warm down compression starts to speed up recovery.
During – Wear during exercise for greater feeling of what is happening.
After - Wear after exercise up to 3 hours to speed up recovery.
Manufacturers of compression clothing also claim it enhances propriception recovery.
Caution
Some clothing claims to be compression when in reality it is actually just snug fitting always choose a garment from a well known compression brand that is seamless one piece with variable compression areas
Doubt
If in doubt wear one calf guard after competition for recovery and see if you notice any difference when you have a sports massage 2-3 days later.
Compression Clothing
T-shirts long sleeve tops shorts cycle shorts calf guards, socks (race & recovery)
Life
The effectiveness of the compression garment made from cheap nylon will soon lose their compression benefits. Initial tightness is not a sign of quality.
Most of the brand leaders use hi grade to give them a long life.
Who can benefit?
Anyone who exercises can benefit from power strength athletes to long distance cyclists triathletes and runners.
Compression Clothing
1. Reduce fatigue- Otherwise caused by muscle vibration.
2. Improved circulation – Allows for a good warm up.
3. Speedy recovery – Improved flushing of blood lactate.
4. Reduced muscle damage – Can reduce tissue damage.
5. Compression fabric – Speeds up correct circulation.
6. Heightened agility – Improved sense of movement.
Why compression clothing.
Can protect you form the suns rays without the need for SPF sun block.
Designed to reduce muscle movement vibration (oscillation) which can cause micro tears a reduction in soft tissue damage.
Many athletes experience a reduction in delayed onset of muscle soreness (DOMS) and wearing compression defiantly speeds up recovery rates. Note speeding up recovery is part of fitness, the quicker we recover the body learns to improve its fitness.
Compression throughout the compression garment is aimed at improve circulation to the moving muscle to speed up the removal of waste products & lactic acid. Graduated tight fitting clothing supports the specific working muscles.
The wicking affect of body perspiration helps keep you dry yet warm with compression clothing.
Many older athletes are also able to work at a higher rate for longer due to the compression helping with increased blood flow and therefore an increase in oxygen delivery.
Can be worn before during and after, however benefits can be achieved by not wearing them 24/7.
Benefits for wearing compression clothing.
Stops body shake that causes muscle damage.
Thermoregulation.
Keeping the body at the correct temperature is called Thermoregulation. Excersing at the desire temperature will allow you to perfom at your optiumun performance. Over heating increases the heart rate and slows you down including dehydration and the blood is diverted to the skin surface reduces blood flow to the digestive system
Perspiration – helps wicks away sweat.
Wicking away perspiration.
Compression socks should be used by Triathletes Runners Cyclist Football players to speed up recovery after hard sessions travelling or standing at exhibitions.
Using them during exercise will make your legs feel like you have only done half of the session.
Ignore the ridicule from training mates and young kids in the street what do they know, if they had a life they would not be standing on corners or out side fast food restaurants.
I think they are best used in hard training sessions or to improve recovery rather than when racing. Triathlon rules don’t allow feet or hands to be covered so that rules out wearing them for the swim and they will take at least 30 seconds each to put on so I doubt they will improve your run time by a minute in the shorter races.
How they work?
They provide graduated pressure give extra support and improve blood circulation.
Warning
They do not have the same function as non-compression diabetic socks
From my experience and coaching others and the well known fact that pressure or compression speed ups recovery from tired muscles which in turn the muscles learn they can recover quicker.
Can also improve circulation/
Warm up also seems to be much quicker when wearing compression.
The most important factor is muscle oscillation (vibration) is reduced, reduced muscle damage stops bio mechanical imbalances which if not corrected leads to injuries.
Wearing compression can also improve our mid to muscle awareness where our body is and what the muscles are actually doing.
The heart pumps the blood around the body but gravity slows down its return to the heart to remove waste products and carbon dioxide.
Compression socks prevents blood pooling in the lower legs even when the legs are not elevated
Compression clothing material.
Each brand uses different fabrics so some will be designed for cold or warm conditions. White is a cooler colour while black absorbs heat so is better when it is cold.
Oscillation occurs when the muscles move and during impact which then cause micro tear damage.
A combination of lactic acid and micro tears cause pain during and after exercise.
Wearing compression clothing can cause a reduction in fatigue during and after exercise.
Special features include graduated tight at the extremities or key areas.
Faster circulation results in an increase of nutrients to the muscles and quicker removal or waste products.
Propriception improvement – increasing your awareness of where and what your muscles are doing in relation to other body parts. Sends signals to the brain that the muscle is moving.
Just like wearing a bandage not only for support but to tell your mind and body to be more conscious of the movement. Elastic stretch rebound materials can also help muscle movement.
Ironmate Mark has used compression
Winner of the Tri-Fest 4 races in 2 days, Top 3 finisher Tour of Milton Keynes ultra race and also Cyprus International 4 day running challenge multi stage running race.
I believe they work in recovery from exercise I feel much fresher after exercise when worn and in the days after a hard work out. The older I get the wiser I become.
Compression clothing is excellant for triathletes training and racing Triathlons.
Mark pulled his calf muslce just 2 weeks before his Ironman but sucessfully finsihed the China Ironman wearing Compressport calf guards for more info click on http://compressport.uk.com
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