Studies have shown that compression apparel (including socks, tights, and leg sleeves) help to both reduce fatigue and improve recovery.  On an anecdotal level, I notice a huge difference in my recovery the next day when I wear compression socks, and almost all of my athletes use some form of compression technology after their hard workouts.

These products use graduated compression (tighter at the extremities, looser as you move up the leg) to improve blood flow -- specifically to improve the flow of blood returning to the heart from the veins.   This allows blood to return to working muscles faster, delivering nutrients and oxygen, and clearing waste products....

Compression products also help to reduce muscle vibration.  This has two significant benefits.  

• It saves energy while you're exercising - by helping to stabilize the muscles and make them work more efficiently. One study published in the International Journal of Sports Medicine predicted that the energy saved by reducing vibration could result in as much as a six minute improvement for a 3:30 marathoner!
• It helps to reduce "delayed onset muscle soreness" -- that feeling of not being able to move you get a couple days after you exercise.  Not only does this make life more comfortable for you, it also allows you to work out at a higher-level and more often.

Also, these products can help you recover from workouts by keeping capillaries dilated even after your workout is finished, speeding clearance of waste products.  To get the full recovery benefit, you should wear your compression products for a minimum of two hours following the workout (I like to wear mine while watching football after a long run). However, studies have shown significant improvement in the clearing of waste products in as little as twenty minutes!

All of this might sound too good to be true, especially in a sport where we all know how hard you have to work for even the smallest improvement.  But, I'm a true believer in its effectiveness and personally use compression socks after all of my long runs, while camping, flying on a plane, or any day when I know that I'll be standing a lot. 

All of this might sound too good to be true, especially in a sport where we all know how hard you have to work for even the smallest improvement.  But, I'm a true believer in its effectiveness and personally use compression socks after all of my long runs, while camping, flying on a plane, or any day when I know that I'll be standing a lot. 

If you're interested in finding out more about specific products, I would recommend starting with these companies that myself and my athletes have had good success with:

• Zensah -- www.Zensah.com
• CW-X -- www.CW-X.com
• Skins -- www.Skins.net
• 2XU -- www.2xu.com

Also, please use the comments section below to share your experiences -- good or bad -- with compression technology!

You can purchase compression products for running through Amazon