Compression wear has become ubiquitous in gyms, on running tracks, and in recovery rooms around the world. These form-fitting garments promise everything from improved performance to faster recovery, but understanding what compression wear actually does helps you decide whether it deserves a place in your fitness wardrobe. This guide explores the science behind compression garments, their practical benefits, and how to choose the right options for your needs.
What Is Compression Wear?
Compression garments are tight-fitting clothes designed to apply consistent pressure to your body. Unlike regular snug-fitting athletic wear, true compression garments are engineered to apply specific levels of pressure, often graduated to be strongest at the extremities and lighter toward the body's core.
These garments originated in the medical field, where compression stockings have long been used to treat circulatory conditions and prevent blood clots. The athletic adaptation of this technology seeks to harness similar benefits for performance and recovery.
How Compression Works
The pressure applied by compression garments serves several physiological purposes. By gently squeezing blood vessels, compression can improve venous return, helping blood flow back to the heart more efficiently. This may reduce blood pooling in the limbs during exercise.
The mechanical support provided by compression may also reduce muscle oscillation, the vibration that occurs with each footstrike or movement. Some research suggests this reduced oscillation might decrease muscle fatigue and damage during prolonged exercise.
Potential Performance Benefits
During Exercise
The performance benefits of compression wear during exercise remain debated in scientific literature, with studies showing mixed results. However, many athletes report subjective improvements that should not be dismissed.
Some research suggests that compression may improve running economy slightly, meaning athletes use less oxygen to maintain a given pace. Other studies have found no significant difference. The variation in results likely reflects differences in compression levels, garment quality, and individual responses.
Proprioception, your body's sense of position and movement, may also be enhanced by compression wear. The constant tactile feedback from the garment pressing against your skin could help you maintain awareness of your body position during complex movements.
Perceived Exertion
Interestingly, many studies find that while compression may not significantly improve objective performance measures, athletes wearing compression often report lower perceived exertion. They feel like they are working less hard, even when actual performance is similar.
This psychological benefit should not be underestimated. If compression wear helps you push through tough workouts or feel more confident during competition, the performance impact is real, even if the mechanism is partly mental.
Recovery Benefits
The evidence for compression wear's recovery benefits is stronger than its performance claims. Multiple studies have found that wearing compression garments after exercise can reduce muscle soreness and accelerate the recovery process.
Reducing Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness
Delayed onset muscle soreness, that achey feeling that develops 24 to 48 hours after hard exercise, may be reduced by wearing compression during or after workouts. The improved circulation and reduced muscle damage from decreased oscillation likely both contribute to this effect.
For best results, wear compression garments during your workout and for several hours afterward. Some athletes even wear compression sleeves or tights to bed after particularly demanding training sessions.
Post-Exercise Inflammation
Exercise, especially intense or unfamiliar exercise, triggers an inflammatory response as your body repairs damaged tissue. While some inflammation is necessary for adaptation, excessive inflammation can prolong recovery and contribute to ongoing soreness.
Compression may help manage this inflammatory response by facilitating the removal of metabolic waste products and reducing fluid accumulation in the muscles. This can help you recover faster and return to training sooner.
Choosing Compression Wear
Compression Levels
Not all compression garments are created equal. Medical-grade compression is measured in millimetres of mercury and can range from light to very firm. Athletic compression garments typically fall on the lighter end of this spectrum.
For general fitness use, moderate compression is usually appropriate and comfortable. Very firm compression can feel restrictive and may not provide additional benefits for healthy individuals without circulatory issues.
Fit and Sizing
Proper fit is essential for compression wear to work effectively. Too loose, and you will not receive the intended compression benefits. Too tight, and you may restrict blood flow rather than improve it, potentially causing discomfort or even harm.
Follow manufacturer sizing guides carefully, and do not hesitate to try multiple sizes to find the best fit. Many brands offer size exchange programs acknowledging the importance of correct fitting.
Types of Compression Garments
Compression singlets and tops provide support to the core and upper body. They can help with posture and may reduce fatigue in the shoulders and back during long training sessions.
Compression shorts and tights support the major muscle groups of the lower body. They are particularly popular among runners, cyclists, and athletes in sports involving lots of running and jumping.
Compression sleeves for arms or calves offer targeted support without the heat and coverage of full garments. They can be easier to put on and remove and work well in warmer conditions.
Who Benefits Most
Endurance Athletes
Runners, cyclists, triathletes, and other endurance athletes may see the greatest benefits from compression wear. The improved circulation and reduced muscle oscillation during long training sessions and events can help maintain performance and accelerate recovery.
Strength Athletes
Weightlifters and powerlifters also use compression, though the benefits differ slightly. For these athletes, the proprioceptive feedback and joint support may be more valuable than circulation improvements. Compression singlets are also often required competition attire.
Recovery Focus
Anyone who trains intensely can benefit from compression wear as a recovery tool, even if they do not wear it during exercise. Keeping compression garments on hand for post-workout use is a low-cost strategy that may speed your return to training.
Making Your Decision
Whether compression wear is worth adding to your fitness wardrobe depends on your goals, budget, and personal preferences. The recovery benefits are reasonably well-supported by evidence, making compression a worthwhile consideration for anyone training hard.
Performance benefits during exercise are less certain but certainly possible, particularly given the psychological boost many athletes experience. If wearing compression makes you feel faster, stronger, or more confident, that feeling itself has value.
Try compression garments for yourself and pay attention to how you feel during and after workouts. Your individual response matters more than any study average in determining whether compression becomes a regular part of your training routine.