Compression clothing has been around for quite a while and judging by the shelves of Sports Direct is here to stay for a while longer, when you do a web search for it, a huge amount of misinformation and marketing rubbish will come up, either making you rush out to cover yourself head to toe in lycra or not knowing what to do next. Some manufacturers claim it can boost strength, power, endurance some even claim it can make you faster than Michael Phelps and a nicer person, well maybe the last ones not true but improvement in performance seems certain once you don the magic lycra!

This post has a quick look at the research behind the industry and it tries to help you decide if its something that could aid you.

First lets clarify what constitutes compression clothing and what is just clothing that doesn’t fit! Compression clothing is a highly elastic garment that is traditionally worn on the lower limb including full length leggings and socks. The idea is to aid the body’s lymphatic system by providing a graduated pressure on the limb from distal to proximal (further away from the heart to closer). This pressure is designed to aid the return of lymph fluid to a lymph node. This pressure is dependent on the brand and fit of the garment but is approximately 22mmHg  at its distal point and 18mmHg at its proximal end. The premise for this came from compression garment use in aiding venous return and lymphatic drainage in the treatment of a range of circulatory problems. It is worth noting though that the average compression range of these clinical grade garments is greater with the compression value ranging between 30-40mmHg.

Whilst there is very little to no clinical research into its effectiveness a number of smaller studies have been conducted. These have found that the garments may be effective in reducing the swelling and inflammatory processes associated with muscle damage (Kraemer et al., 2004). This, perhaps, is because compression of the limb creates an external pressure gradient reducing the space available for swelling (Davies et al., 2009). Mechanical damage to the muscle fibres triggers a chain of events that can result in an increased osmotic pressure within the tissue. This increase in pressure is thought to cause an efflux of fluid from the capillaries of the muscle, into the interstitial spaces (Kraemer et al., 2004). The application of compression may attenuate this change in osmotic pressure subsequently reducing the degree of inflammation, the circulation of inflammatory markers and the sensation of pain (Kraemer et al., 2004).

There has been some research into the claims that it can improve performance (Doan et al 2003) demonstrated that compression garments may help to maintain repeated jump performance and may improve jump height. Most manufacturers claim that it will improve a muscles endurance by reducing muscle oscillation and increasing muscle oxygenation by improvements in blood flow but there is very little evidence to support this.

One of the most popular uses’ of compression garments is not from a performance aspect but as a recovery tool. Kraemar et al 2001 claim that wearing compression tights post training can lead to a decrease in Creatine Kinase which is a blood marker for tissue damage.  another claim is that it can provide a dynamic immobilization that will lead to reduction in pain.

My thoughts on Compression clothing is based on an individuals response to its use. From experience of both racing and wearing the compression clothing it has a psychological component to feeling ready to race or recover and for some this placebo benefit would be enough to help aid the individual. Whilst I don’t believe the manufacturers claims of dramatic improvements in performance are realistic the use of compression clothing as a recovery tool is something that I believe would benefit most endurance type athletes.

Happy training, with or without your skins!