benefits of compression socks during exercise

Increase Proprioception (Awareness of the position and movement of the body).This means if you increase pressure and velocity at your limbs, your blood will flow more effectively back towards the heart since it is at a lower pressure.ġ3 Benefits of Wearing Compression Clothing: Fluids flow from areas of high energy to low energy based on pressure, velocity, and density. Compression garments help reduce the diameter of your blood vessels to increase blood flow and improve circulation because of Pascal’s Law.Īdditionally, creating regions of compression also creates a pressure gradient. A vein with a larger diameter has a slower fluid velocity than a vein with a smaller diameter. But if you attach a nozzle to the hose, reducing the diameter the water is flowing through, the water pressure increases dramatically.īlood vessels work in a similar way. If you turn the water on and let it flow out of the end of the hose, it’s likely not enough pressure to move the water fast enough to wash your car. To help paint a picture of why this improves circulation, think of using a garden hose to wash your car on a summer day. Since oxygen is brought to depleted muscles by your heart pumping blood throughout your body, and picking up oxygen from the lungs along the way, improved blood flow translates directly to enhanced athletic performance and recovery.Īpplying compression to your body helps reduce the diameter of your blood vessels. The more efficient your body is at both of these processes, the better your performance output will be.Ī significant factor in oxygen delivery and metabolic waste removal is blood circulation. Whenever you do any form of exercise, your body needs to supply your muscles with oxygen and remove metabolic byproducts like carbon dioxide.

The Science Behind How Compression Garments Work And now that we have a brief introduction to what these garments are, let’s dive into the details behind the science of how they work, especially for athletic performance and workout recovery. Pressure gradients are essential for how compression garments work. The design can also supply various levels of compression at different points of the body to enhance the pressure gradient they provide. The selection or mixture of materials used in the garment is determined by the desired level of tightness or elasticity required for the garment’s purpose. Typically they are manufactured from polyester, nylon, and spandex. The most common types of compression gear you’ll find are pants and leggings, leg and arm sleeves, socks, upper body shirts, and even gloves and headwear. How It Helps Strength Athletes and BodybuildersĬompression garments are tight forms of clothing designed to supply compression to the body in the localized areas they cover.13 Benefits of Wearing Compression Clothing:.The Science Behind How Compression Garments Work.

Benefits of compression socks during exercise