Be it for comfort or for psychophysiological function or for aesthetic appeal, compression garments holds a very pivotal place in the world of sports. Compression garments are supposed to enhance the performance in sports and reduce the risk of injury. It is also helpful in promoting recovery. Compression garments are compressive and tight pieces of clothing that is made typically of nylon or Spandex. Compression garments are something that is worn not only by the athletes to enhance the performance in sports but it is also worn by the amateur fanatic as well. The compression garments have been generally accepted as an efficacious tool for enhancing the performance including recovery. Only some research suggests that compression garments are truly useful.
Compression Garments –
Many people have this question; do compression garments really enhance the performance and recovery? Well, compression garments for lymphedema is also available in the market. It has been found to be very useful in the cases of lymphedema where there is a collection of lymphatic fluids in various body parts like foot, knees, arms, joints, breast, and bums also. Let us look at the effect of compression garments on the inflammatory response. Many times, it happens that people suffer from muscular pain after intense exercise, but the main reason for this has not been understood completely. Some people believe that muscle pain results from a disruption of the muscle fibers that are around the tissues. Others feel that it is because of the inflammatory response. In addition, some believe that it is both.
Inflammatory Response and Compression Garments –
Inflammatory response is a method that follows tissue damage, which is caused by intense activity. In addition, due to this there is a increase in osmotic pressure or swelling which is also an increase in the sensitivity of the nociceptors or you can also call it as pain receptors that causes the sensation of pain. So, doctors suggest that wearing a compression garments reduces the osmotic pressure thereby reducing the space which is easily available for hematomas and swelling or lymphedema. When there is a reduction in the osmotic pressure then there is a reduction in the inflammatory response and painful sensation.
Effect of Compression Garments –
Most of the time it is thought that compression garments has a great positive psychological effect on the recovery and performance by lowering the perception of muscular pain (RPE). The effects of compression garment on muscle pain are still something that is unclear. This recovery method has been shown to have very little effect on the evaluation of the RPE during different sprinting and running protocols. Compression garments is also used for improving the sports performance. Besides that, many people use the compression garments to improve the ongoing recovery in between the training sessions and way to enhance intense recovery in between or during the training session.
2013 Analysis –
A 2013 analysis conducted suggests that using compression garments can improve the present recovery of the muscle strength and the power that is in between the sessions of training. However, there is a less proof of it, especially when performing squats, sprints, jumps, and agility exercise. Though, compression garments may not improve the intense recovery as observed, but at the same time, it also doesn’t have any negative effects regarding the performance. The present scientific study suggests that compression garments improve the local blood circulation, eliminates the toxins, running economy, inflammation reduction, and reduction in the post-exercise muscle pain with no negative effects. There are also certain problems with the compression garments. Moreover, one of the biggest problems with it is the size and the pressure applied by the garments. As the product is called compression garment, the pressurization by the material is very important.
