In the past few decades, compression clothing has become more and more popular. Many runners swear by them, but the science is far from conclusive. Recently, a group of researchers analyzed 183 studies evaluating their efficacy and found that although they may not be as useful as some people claim, the harm of using compression gears is also minimal.

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Compression clothing includes tights, shorts, shirts, sleeves, socks and calf sleeves. They are very tight and are designed to promote blood flow by providing mechanical pressure to the body. The list of claimed benefits of these projects is long, including reducing muscle cramps and muscle fatigue, improving balance, reducing muscle soreness, enhancing muscle recovery, improving flexibility and even improving performance.

According to research reviews, the evidence that compression garments improve physical performance is ambiguous at best. Of the 183 studies included in the review, 24 directly evaluated performance in the time trial, while only 30% of the 24 studies showed any measurable positive impact on performance.

Researchers found that tights did not produce meaningful changes in the wearer's metabolic response, blood pressure, heart rate or other cardiopulmonary measurements, nor did it improve the user's movement or perceived movement speed.

On the other hand, the compression device does seem to reduce the vibration characteristics of the muscles (that is, your muscles jitter less during exercise). They also seem to have a positive effect on the sensorimotor properties of your body, provide functional joint stability during exercise, and may reduce the wearer's perception of muscle soreness and pain after exercise. They also increase your local skin temperature (though not your core temperature), which can be a good thing in colder weather.

There is not much evidence that pressure suits provide many benefits, which is inconsistent with the number of athletes who swear to use them. The researchers solved this problem and pointed out that the wearer’s beliefs about their work may play an important role in their efficacy. In other words, the placebo effect should not be underestimated.

The researchers also pointed out that since wearing compression gear is unlikely to impair your performance, athletes who want to continue to wear them can wear them with confidence, and wearing them may be beneficial under certain conditions, such as when the weather is cold.

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Therefore, if you are currently wearing compression gear and feel as if you are benefiting from it, please continue to wear it. If you are considering buying some for yourself, they do have benefits, but don't expect them to change your running performance in any dramatic way, if at all. Wearing compression gear should not replace sound recovery exercises, such as stretching, moving work, and foam roller rolling, so whether you choose to use it or not, don’t forget the basics.

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