Compression Garments

Compression garments — tights, calf sleeves, tops — apply graduated pressure to the limbs, worn during or after training with the aim of aiding recovery.

What published research reports

A meta-analysis in the British Journal of Sports Medicine (2014) pooled trials of compression garments worn after exercise-induced muscle damage and reported moderate reductions in delayed-onset muscle soreness and improved recovery of strength and power compared with control conditions. A later systematic review (2016) reported similar directional findings while noting that many trials could not blind participants, that garment pressures were often unmeasured, and that a placebo contribution cannot be excluded. Effects during exercise — as opposed to after it — are reported as smaller and less consistent across the literature.

References

• Hill J, et al. Compression garments and recovery from exercise-induced muscle damage: a meta-analysis. Br J Sports Med. 2014;48(18):1340–1346. PubMed
• Marqués-Jiménez D, et al. Are compression garments effective for the recovery of exercise-induced muscle damage? A systematic review with meta-analysis. Physiol Behav. 2016. PubMed