UKC

So after upping both miles and effort in recent weeks, my calves have been feeling noticeably more tired. Has anyone used compression socks and found them helpful, or is it just marketing mumbo-jumbo? Do I just need to MTFU? If they have helped, any recommendations?

Cheers!

In reply to ianstevens:

I use calf guards:
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/compressport-calf-guard-r2-race-and-recovery/
and I have fewer calf problems than I did before I started using them. Quite a few of my running friends also use them and swear by them. I think there's probably a lot of marketing guff - I'm really not convinced by the "venous feedback" stuff, but they do seem to work for me, even if the mechanism is unclear.

In reply to ianstevens:

I wasn't overly expectant of the benefits of "compression wear" but I've just started running again after some time off and some 3 weeks in I don't get DOMS as much. i.e. would normally expect to be sore for 2 days after a hard run, Ive only had one set of DOMS since wearing compression tights.

I would say its more the "prevention of muscles flapping horizontally whilst in the relaxed phase" thus reducing muscle micro trauma rather than the increased venous flow etc if it was anything more than placebo.

Time will tell but I'm more on the positive side of the fence.

Chris

In reply to ianstevens:

Consistently no scientific proof that compression clothing does anything, though if you can subscribe to the placebo effect then it might be worth it:

http://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2015/03/30/392378800/compression-c...

In reply to ianstevens:

I think the evidence is inconclusive at best, but that doesn't stop people having strong opinions either way. Judging by the number of people wearing them at races, I'm (as a non-wearer) in the minority.

To the OP - if you're upping distance and intensity then your muscles will naturally feel more fatigued. Its part of the training process.

That said, they're cheap enough (Decathlon do some) so if you want to try there's not much to use. However I get bad enough comedy tan lines with my socks in summer so god knows what I'd look like if I wore compression socks.

I wear compression shorts on long runs, but to be honest that's more of an anti-chafing measure than anything else. I've also got some compression tights that I wear after really long efforts, but to be honest I'd be hard pressed to know the difference between days when I've used them and days I haven't.

In reply to ianstevens:

I've recently started wearing Compressport calf guards as I was upping my mileage and have had issues with cramp and also a calf tear. I ran a 100 mile ultra in them last month and have to say, they really helped. My muscles didn't ache at all afterwards, which I think has a lot to do with them stopping the vibration through the muscle on foot impact. My friend wears the thigh guards and swears by them as she had a hamstring tear earlier in the year. I leave them on for a few hours after a long run too. They definitely stop your legs swelling, and I didn't get swollen feet either. They also protect your legs from thorns and stinging nettles. I would recommend them.

You've been upping the miles, your body will take a while to get used to that.

People wear them because they "think" they should. IE, they've been on a running website, read a few articles, want to start running again, a bit of googling and voila, compression tights, shorts, calf compression etc etc.

Truth is, you actually don't need anything like that. As said above, compression clothing may not actually do anything and thousands upon thousands of athletes and mere mortals have gone without for decades without compromise.

My experience, 24 years in the Forces, umpteen mile long tabs with weight, more runs than you can shake a stick at, Marathon des Sables, many ultras and god knows how many half marathons and the verdict? Running shorts, decent trainers and a t shirt with no adverse effect.

My opinion, all a bit of hype to buy stuff. If you really want to wear compression kit, buy tubi grip that's too small and save yourself £30. Here endeth the lesson

PS, When I asked the local 2xu stockist who bought their kit, it was mostly return to running folk or older runners and the reason they bought them was long term knee, calf, thigh, ankle problems that they already had.

In reply to Denni:

I've always been sceptical though Denni, but thought I would try them and to my mind, they have stopped a lot of muscle soreness through impact vibration.

In reply to liz j:


I'm not saying this didn't happen, but of course you're just an experiment of one, and there could be so many other factors that meant you're soreness has gone away. Even if you were sceptical, you must have been receptive to the idea or you wouldn't have tried them. Definitively attributing this to the compression wear is risky in my opinion.

However like I said above - there seems to be no harm, they're not especially expensive and if you like what they (may or may not be) are doing for you then, then fine.

In reply to yorkshireman:

http://xkcd.com/552

In reply to yorkshireman:

I actually brought them because I was doing a long race through the night and wanted them to keep my lower legs a bit warmer so I didn't need to put tights on. Hadn't really given much thought to them stopping impact fatigue and didn't really believe the vascular benefits. I suppose I could have just brought long socks but wanted something that would stay put. I guess they don't work for everyone, but to me now, they benefit my legs and I'm happy with that.

In reply to liz j:

There's a few folk on UKC who wouldn't believe that they liked the taste of strawberries unless they'd read that they liked them in a double blind trial.

In reply to Yanis Nayu:

Look, the OP asked for people's experiences, I gave mine, that is all. For me, they have helped, and I would like to think I have enough running experience to KNOW that they made a difference to my legs. That is my personal experience, I'm not saying that others would benefit. I do know that I ran a 100 miles of hills and didn't have any muscle pain at all afterwards, yet I ran a hilly marathon 6 weeks previous without them and my calf muscles took a real beating. Each to their own, this is not about the bloody Matterhorn!

In reply to liz j:

I was supporting you!

In reply to Yanis Nayu:

Were you! Ok, sorry lol.

In reply to ianstevens:

If anything I've found compression stuff a hindrance - always find I'm far more prone to cramp up with compression tights etc.

Horses for courses though!

In reply to bouldery bits:

Cheers for the advice/experiences everyone - glad to see that the collective opinion of UKC is the same as everywhere else

As some have said - they're cheap, and won't be harmful, so I'll give them a bash. I appreciate that more miles = more suffering, I'm just trying to "cheat" my way through!