Should You Be Buying Compression Gear for Your Fitness Training?

exercise compression gear

Compression gear has exploded in popularity in recent years.

This is how compression gear can help your performance and recovery, and how to choose the best fit of compression gear for your training needs.

Compression gear involves tight fitting garments that hold the muscles in place and boost blood flow as you train. They are becoming increasingly popular for both casual and professional athletes across a wide range of sport and fitness activities.

Studies such as this one by Fitness Network show that compression gear can help to improve athletic performance, reduce chances of injury, and speed up recovery times.

The garments can do this by helping the muscles warm up faster, and by increasing blood flow to the area, providing more oxygen. providing more oxygen to the muscles as you train.

This increased blood circulation can also help with your recovery after a performance or when recovering from an injury.

Womens 2XU Compression Tights
Womens 2XU Compression Tights from Sims Sports Store


The science behind compression gear and improved performance and recovery

Compression to speed up the healing and recovery process:

Compression gear is a common post-surgery recovery method used by medical professionals. This is because it is such an effective technique for boosting blood flow.

Delivering oxygen to compressed areas as quickly as possible boosts the recovery process and helps to prevent blood clots.  

Essentially, compression gear assists your body to go through its natural healing processes more quickly.

Compression to boost endurance and performance:

When your muscles are compressed, your artery walls dilate, and your blood circulation increases. Studies have shown that the blood flow to compressed muscles can increase by up to 40% during periods of high activity and by up to 30% during recovery.

The increased blood flow during exercise boosts endurance and performance. This is because keeping a high level of blood and oxygen flowing to your muscles helps them to function better and to stave off the effects of fatigue. Increased blood flow also helps your body to get rid of waste products like lactic acid, so you can keep performing at your best for longer.

Compression also helps to decrease the amount of muscular vibration that occurs during physical activity.

Your muscles become fatigued more when they vibrate, and studies have shown that when you’re running, the force exerted on the body can be up to five to twelve times your body weight. By reducing muscle vibration, the body is able to last at higher speeds for longer durations.


Finding the right compression gear for you:

There are many compression gear brands available, but you need to be choosing an effective, well designed brand to maximise its positive effects of compression gear.

2XU and SKINS are two brands that provide high quality compression garments.

2XU’s gear has been designed and tested by the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) and RMIT University in Melbourne. The AIS uses compression gear as part of the performance recovery program for elite Australian athletes. RMIT is a world leader in compression gear and associated sports technology research.

Elite athletes who have worn 2XU compression gear include Olympic rower Kim Brennan, triathletes Aaron Royle, Emma Carney and Craig Alexander, as well as a number of other elite athletes from the NRL and AFL.

SKINS is another Australian-owned compression gear designer and manufacturer. The most high-profile ambassador for SKINS is recently retired rugby league legend Johnathan Thurston.

SKINS was a pioneer in gradient compression research and has incorporated their findings into their product development. Gradient compression delivers controlled amounts of pressure that increases or decreases at different parts of SKINS garments, depending on the area of the body being covered. Various studies have found that SKINS garments are beneficial for performance and recovery.

Check out Sims Sports and their extensive range of compression gear products from these trusted brands. 

Sarah Carroll

Sarah navigates health and fitness alongside a sinful sweet tooth and an unfortunate tendency to splash her savings online shopping, eating out or buying $10 cocktails at happy hour. With a love for yoga, animals and musical theatre, Sarah is rarely found without a peppermint-green tea in hand, tearing up over animal videos on Instagram.

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