User talk:Childlikedrudge

2008 was the Year of the Compression Sock at the Hawaii Ironman. In past years they were

evident, but this year they seemed to be everywhere. The users say they improve their

performance by:

• improving venous return to the heart,
  
• preventing muscles from moving unnecessarily as with excess vibration meaning
  

less fatigue, and

• speeding recovery.
  

They also claim that wearing them on long flights as when going to Hawaii reduces
leg and foot swelling due to fluids pooling in legs.
Elastic compression stockings have been around for a long time and used in the treatment
of several leg conditions such as blood clotting in deep veins (�thrombosis�) and faulty
supports their use for such injuries, but do they improve athletic performance such as
the claims made above?

To try to answer that question I scanned more than 700 studies of the stockings looking

for any that looked at their benefits during exercise at any level. Nearly all of the 

studies used subjects suffering from either thrombosis or varicose veins. When it came to
exercise benefits in this population the results were mixed. The benefits for athletes may
not be the same as for these unhealthy subjects. But there may still be some insights. The

following is a typical sample of what I read:

Kahn (1) found that elastic compression stockings did not improve symptoms or increase
exercise capacity while walking or running in subjects with thrombosis. Jones� (2)

research appears to support Kahn�s. This study discovered that in subjects with normal 

leg veins there were negligible benefits from ECS in normal daily activities. Zajkowski
(3) reported that the stockings are more effective in controlling reflux (backward flow of

blood as in varicose veins) than in improving calf muscle pump function in the normal 

daily activities of subjects with thrombosis and varicose veins. On the other hand,

Ibegbuna (4) showed significantly improved venous blood return in those with chronic

venous insufficiency at all walking speeds. As you can see, the answers to such questions

aren�t always clear and well-defined by the scientific literature.

I came across only one study using healthy athletes. Ali (5) discovered that after

10km running trials, recreationally active men experienced a reduction in delayed-onset

muscle soreness 24 hours after wearing compression stockings. This would certainly 

indicate a speedier recovery as claimed by some of the stocking users. But until there

is more research we will just have to rely on the experiences of athletes who have used

them.

If you decide to give them a try you�ll find there is a wide range of prices and

reported features. I found them online at $2US a pair and also $50US. That�s a huge 

difference, especially for one pair of socks. They also come in different models depending

on how much pressure they exert on the leg as measured in millimeters of mercury. 

The most common pressure used in research seemed to be 20-30mmHg, but that is not to say
this is the best for athletes. You can find some with greater pressure and also with
less. More common when searching the retail websites that cater to athletes is to find
no indication of pressure ratings. compression socks