Compression Garments for Athletes, Do They Really Work?

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Compression garments are believed to enhance blood flow in the body and improve athletic performance, but a recent study states there may not be enough proof to prove its effects on the body. However, whether or not these garments enhance athletic performance they indeed improve proprioception, a process of communication of brain with the body of an individual.

A study published in the International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance said that compression garments did not enhance the athletic performance of an individual but at the same time didn't worsen or deteriorate the task. Notably, the athletes wearing such garments had a perception that their body is in a better state to perform the task than those without compression suits, according to Fox News.

Dr. Dennis Cardone of New York University Langone Medical Center said, "The thought is by using these compression stockings, compression garments, that potentially they can improve blood flow and ultimately improve performance." He also added that "For athletes, it's all about performance and getting that edge." 

Cardone also mentioned about one potential benefit of the compression suits -- that is proprioception.

Proprioception is a process of communication of brain with the body and that mechanism is enhanced when a particular region of the body is braced, noted Fox News.

There is no difference in terms of running economy of an athlete which is a measure of efficiency related to endurance performance, with or without the compression garments said, Abigail Stickford, a researcher at the Institute for Exercise and Environmental Medicine in Dallas. She also added that the running gait that includes stride length and stride frequency was not altered by the compression graments either, according to the Men's Journal.

"However, if you think they could improve your performance, it may be worth a shot. The placebo effect is a very real phenomenon that affects everything from exercise performance to health outcomes. If there is a 'comfort,' whether physiological or psychological, for an individual wearing compression garments, then it could certainly affect his performance," Stickford explained.

She also added that there are evidences that suggest that the compression garments support long term jumping and power performances, reported the Men's Journal.  

Dr. Phil Hartmann, a physical therapist at Mt. Sinai Beth Israel Medical Center, told the Fox news that "So as these compression garments claim it increases the blood flow during exercise, those negative -- well potentially negative -- properties can be washed out sooner."