Compression socks (medical) have been used decades ago in patients with chronic venous insufficiency. Improve venous blood return and reduce swelling and thrombosis of the lower extremity by gradient pressure from bottom to top, from large to small. So what benefits can compression socks bring to athletes in today's hot sports field?
The compression effect of compression socks reduces the shaking of the calf muscles during the running process, which can reduce the degree of muscle fatigue to a certain extent. At the same time, this external surrounding pressure also reduces the wearer's proprioceptive sensation of pain, and can run more smoothly and naturally. With the change of distance and running posture, fatigue is easy to occur, and at this time, compression socks can play a great supporting role. Especially on some off-road tracks, it can not only protect muscles, but also prevent weed branches from scratching.
Wearing compression socks after exercise can theoretically help to remove metabolic wastes in time by promoting blood circulation, which is also conducive to muscle regeneration and repair. One study found that athletes who wore compression socks for 48 hours after a marathon race took 6% longer to repeat the endurance test to failure than those who did not wear compression socks.
In general, while compression socks are not sufficient to improve running ability and performance, compression socks may provide some relief from muscle soreness and recovery.