I had to wear compression socks and even compression stockings after surgery to help prevent blood clots and pulmonary embolisms by placing pressure on my legs. The goal is to help lower the swelling and discomfort, aid muscle recovery, and improve blood circulation.
Researchers found compression stockings to be particularly effective in preventing deep vein thrombosis after surgery. I’ve also previously tried compression socks for running, too, and I did feel some benefits. The socks are tighter around the ankles and lower calves to exert a gentle pressure. Lots of athletes and runners wear compression socks for various reasons. Let’s explore the reasons and some of the research on the benefits.
Why do some athletes and runners wear compression socks?
Lowering muscle soreness
Improving your blood circulation allows more nutrients and oxygen to reach your muscles, which can help reduce soreness and muscle fatigue.
Reducing swelling and discomfort
Compression socks apply pressure that helps reduce swelling and discomfort. With an autoimmune bone disease, I’m no stranger to swollen joints like knees and ankles, which can happen from time to time, and I always squeeze and massage my swollen joints, which seems to help. Sometimes, I also wear braces and compression socks to do the squeezing for me!
Increasing stability
Many athletes find that compression socks enhance stability in the ankles, calves, and Achilles tendon.
Do compression socks boost exercise performance and recovery?
The short answer is yes, they can certainly boost exercise performance and recovery. Researchers have found that wearing compression socks during exercise enhances exercise performance and benefits muscle function.
When it comes to recovery, for example, a study published in the International Journal of Exercise Science highlights that compression socks can enhance performance recovery in athletic populations. However, in this particular small study of 10 men and women, the researchers were focused on non-athletic populations to determine if those benefits remained.
What about non-athletes?
The insufficiently active adults took two graded maximal exercise tests. For one of the tests, they wore below-knee compression socks (CS), and for the other, they wore regular socks (CON). The researchers measured heart rate, lactate, and the rating of perceived exertion at each stage, as well as at one, five, and 10 minutes after exercise. They also measured recovery variables, such as soreness, tightness, tenderness, and pulling, at 24 and 48 hours after exercise.
The research results
Here are the research results:
- There were no differences in heart rate, lactate, or the rating of perceived exertion between the two groups.
- Most of the 24- and 48-hour recovery variables showed significant improvement after the compression socks test, with values 34.6-42.3% lower at 24 hours and 40.3-61.4% lower at 48 hours compared to the regular socks test.
The researchers concluded that compression socks “provided a significant and meaningful improvement in recovery variables 24-48 hours after maximal exercise”.
Concluding thoughts
In athletes and non-athletes alike, there are clear benefits of wearing compression socks for exercise performance and to help you recover after an intense workout.
