For years, standard fitted sportswear has been the first choice for
athletes worldwide however; due to scientific research and the innovation of
sports clothing companies, in recent years compression garments have become
increasingly popular with athletes trying to improve their performance.
So why have compression garments become so popular and how can they
improve your performance?
Blood flow is important during exercise as red blood cells carry
oxygen around the body. Higher compression isn’t necessarily better for you.
It’s about having the right amounts of compression in the right places. The
further away from the heart, the slower the flow of blood is. If levels of
compression are higher at the calves and forearms, blood flow back to the heart
is increased. This is known as gradient, or graduated compression. The best way
to think of it is by squeezing a tube of toothpaste at the base.
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Research has
suggested one of the benefits that compression garments can have is focusing
the direction of the muscle fibres by reducing muscle oscillation, which can
hinder the alignment of muscle fibres when moving, reducing the function of the
muscle (Kraemer et al., 1998).
Therefore reducing muscle oscillation can prevent injuries and keep muscles
functioning for longer periods of time.
Proprioception is your awareness of how your body moves, whether
it’s running, cycling, playing golf or simply walking up a flight of stairs.
Compression garments help to activate the proprioceptors which are specialised
sensory receptors found in the muscles, tendons joints and inner ear. These
receptors relay information back to the brain about what exact movements are
being carried out by your body.
Enhancing proprioception can improve your balance, technique, and
can also prevent your body from getting into awkward positions that may lead to
injury.
Compression garments aren’t going to make you into an elite athlete
overnight. What they will do is support your muscles, improve your blood flow
and generally make you feel more athletic.
This is what will keep you going that little bit longer.
References
Kraemer, W.J.,
Bush, J.A., Bauer, J.A., Newton, R.U., Duncan, N.D., Volek, J.S., Denegar,
C.R., Canavan, P., Johnston, J., Putukian, M. and Sebastianelli, W. (1998).
Influence of a compression garment on repetitive power output production before
and after different types of muscle fatigue. Sports Medicine, Training and Rehabilitation, 8, 163-184.
I'm very happy with your graduated compression shorts, and I'd like to buy a Sub graduated compression shirt for workout recovery. However, I'm consistently told by the reviewers at Amazon that even your XXL size doesn't even fit muscular guys, let alone those of us who also have a big belly.
ReplyDeleteCan you possibly try making a 3XL and 4XL, or adjust your existing sizes to accommodate those of us who aren't high-endurance sportsmen?
Thanks for the feedback Dan. We do have some users who go for the smaller sizes, then find they need a larger size but we don't have enough users that find the XXL too small, in order to produce 3XL and 4XL sizes. If the demand increase and we feel that it would be cost effective to do so, then we would produce those large sizes for more muscular athletes. We are however; bringing out some fitted garments this year that may be more suited.
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