Compression Clothing Myths Debunked
Compression clothing has been a controversial subject in the world of sports performance and recovery. These items attract attention: they’re skin-tight, they often come in whacky colors, and athletes swear by their effectiveness. If you’ve ever wondered what they do, or if they live up to the hype, we’re going to clear the air and remove some of the mystery surrounding these garments. We’re going to bust the 4 biggest myths surrounding compression clothing.
Compression has no Scientific Support Compression clothing has a wide variety of scientific studies supporting the claims made about them. It is important not to take these claims too far, or out of context: compression isn’t going to turn a novice athlete into an elite athlete, but it can provide a range of health benefits and give you the edge in recovery that might make the difference between glory and failure.
• Improvements in performance during exercise
• Boosts recovery and feelings of preparedness
• Improves the ability to hold challenging positions, and endurance therein
• Reduces impact through the joints, contributing to reductions in injury prevalence
• Improves oxygen and blood flow delivery to the muscles
• Reduces overall injury rates
Clearly, the applications of compression gear are wide enough that even modest improvements in each of these categories make them a great investment for the casual exerciser and the elite athlete alike. Everyone can benefit from improved performance and reduced injury!
Compression is Only for the Elite
This is one of the most infuriating myths that we hear on a daily basis. “Compression gear is only for elite athletes!” – this makes about as much sense as saying that focusing on nutrition is only for elite athletes. If anything, the fact that we see elite athletes using compression gear is more reason to use them – it means they’re probably beneficial!
Compression gear is a great way for everyone to improve their comfort, recovery, and preparedness on a session-to-session basis. Compression gear is comfortable, supportive, and it provides great health benefits for relatively little commitment or effort. You are a human, just like Lance Armstrong or any other elite athlete, and your body benefits from improved circulation and blood-flow in the same way.
Compression Clothing is Uncomfortable
We’re not sure how this myth got started, because compression clothing is some of the most comfortable attire out there. If you ever suspected otherwise, just note how many women wear compression leggings or tights outside of the gym. Athleisure is a growing market because training gear is super comfy, and skin-tight materials provide warmth during the cold winter months.
Equally, the myth that you’re going to get too hot in compression clothing is unfounded. If you compare the “breathability” of a track-suit to compression leggings, we guarantee that the compression clothing will win 100% of the time. If you’re buying the right size, and the right level of compression, we guarantee that compression clothing will be more comfortable than almost any other clothing.
Compression Clothing can help with your physique
This one, sadly, isn’t true. We’ve busted 3 negative myths, but its important to also be measured about the real world benefits of compression clothing. Many people wear compression clothing to try and improve weight loss or the appearance of cellulite. This is well-meaning, but there is no scientific evidence to support these practices – more likely, low-quality compression companies have lied in their marketing campaigns!
http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0060923 https://bmcsportsscimedrehabil.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/2052-1847-5-18 http://shapeamerica.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/0264041031000101971#.WjPAKoXXKhc https://www.thieme-connect.com/products/ejournals/html/10.1055/s-0031-1283181 http://bjsm.bmj.com/content/48/7/638.2.short http://journals.humankinetics.com/doi/abs/10.1123/ijspp.8.1.4