Recovery Leggings
Faster recovery from intense workouts is one of the reasons many pro athletes turn to steroids – the ability to bounce back and train just as hard the next day gives them a decided advantage. Athletes in search of a safe, legal alternative have started to turn to compression recovery garments as a way to recuperate quickly from a killer workout. Compression garments have a long history of use with patients with circulatory issues, where the garments promote blood flow and prevent blood from pooling in the extremities. Medical-grade garments are also used to speed recovery after plastic surgery.
Endurance athletes like bicyclists and triathletes took note, and have been experimenting with compressive recovery garments for a few years; recently the idea has gone more mainstream, with a host of companies crowding into the market. The result, of course, is conflicting claims and confusion.
The first step to sorting it all out is to distinguish between active/performance compression and recovery compression. Performance compression clothing is designed to be worn during exercise with the aim of reducing muscle vibration, limiting micro-tears in the muscles, improving oxygen uptake and the efficiency of muscle movement, and regulating body temperature. Some companies, like CW-X, also use specialized construction to create a Support Web that helps stabilize your core and joints (in tights, capris, and shorts) and improve posture (in tops). The range of clothing that is now marketed with the “compression” tag is vast, ranging from high-performance items to nylon/spandex shorts you can pick up at Wal-Mart. Just keep in mind that better gear uses high-denier fabric that is more compressive, holds its shape longer, and is more durable.
2XU Compression/Recovery Socks
Rather than focus on performance benefits during your workout, recovery compression technology emphasizes the period after your workout. As the name implies, it is designed to be worn post-exercise, with the specific aim of speeding recovery. Most products, such as those from SKINS and 2XU (pronounced two-times-you), utilize “graduated compression” to help move blood along. This means the garment will be tighter at the feet and ankles and less so as it moves to core. This forces blood towards heart and lungs, speeds the evacuation of metabolic waste like lactic acid, and returns oxygen to the muscles faster to accelerate recovery. The aim is to avoid delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS, for short)—you know, when you stagger around the office for two days after a heavy workout, enduring the slings and arrows of witty co-workers. You can’t face getting back in the saddle for another day or two, much less hit it just as hard in preparation for the first race of the season. Depending on the areas they’re trying to target, athletes will slip on socks, calf sleeves, tights, tops, leggings or arm sleeves after a workout and go about their business, or even sleep in them. These highly compressive garments are also useful for boosting circulation during periods of inactivity before a race; athletes traveling to competition may use them to arrive with “fresh legs,” ready to go.
SKINS Recovery Tight
Skins and 2XU have gained a lot of traction in the notoriously gear-obsessed bike and tri markets, and recently Under Armour has entered the recovery segment. UA, after all, was the company that got everyone (not just Lycra freaks like bikers and Nordic skiers) wearing skin-tight athletic clothing. Its new Recharge line is targeting athletes doing intensive strength training and mainstream sports athletes looking for legal means of boosting their recuperative powers. UA Recharge garments claim to work not only by boosting circulation but also by inhibiting muscle swelling and inflammation post-workout.
Does this stuff work? Hard to say. There have been some studies that have shown some incremental improvements in recuperative powers, while others are more mixed. The blogosphere is certainly is crawling with testimonials and positive reviews from users. Professional cyclists are early adopters; for example, David Zabriski reports in the Tour of California blog that he routinely travels wearing compression gear. Runners are in as well; a 2XU representative reports that he set up a booth at the most recent New York Marathon and blew through $70,000 worth of inventory in two days. There are clearly believers out there.
Sound intriguing? Want to dive in? Be our guest. Just one note about fit. These garments shouldn’t be just tight; in order to work properly, they need to be compressive (duh!). If they’re sized correctly, they’re a little hard to put on, and not the most comfortable things to wear (think sausage on a hot grill). If they’re not almost (but not totally) uncomfortably tight, or if you have multiple wrinkles or even bagging, they’re too big—and they’re not going to get the job done.
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Tags: fabric tech, recovery, road cycling, technology, training
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