Compression underwear

Compression clothing

Content

What is it for?
How does it work?
Views
Material
Manufacturers
When is it and how should it be worn?
Contraindications
Reviews

What is it for?

Compression clothing is not yet so widespread and well-known as not to be told in more detail about it. The word compression itself, translated from English, means “squeezing”. Thus, compression garments are products that provide external balanced pressure on soft tissue in order to reduce the size of the veins.

Compared to simple cotton clothing, "compression" has a number of advantages:

is lightweight;
more wearable, as it is made of durable and elastic synthetic fabrics;
better fits the body, supporting the muscles;
improves blood flow and accelerates blood circulation;
perfectly removes moisture from the body and promotes its evaporation;
has good thermoregulation, maintaining a constant temperature;
perfectly passes air to the surface of the body;
constantly keeps the muscles warm;
reduces muscle tension, minimizes the risk of seizures;
prevents "clogging" and accumulation of lactic acid in the muscles;
shortens the recovery period after physical exertion;
increases efficiency and endurance;
reduces swelling of the lower extremities;
protects against microbes thanks to a special antibacterial impregnation;
specially treated seams do not cause discomfort;
prevents the appearance of corns and corns;
protects against ultraviolet radiation.

Initially, the effect of compression was used only in medical practice in the auxiliary treatment of diseases of the joints, the musculoskeletal system and the vascular system. And today in hospitals after severe injuries and complex operations, compression hosiery is prescribed in order to shorten the recovery period.

Over time, compression garments have adapted to be used not only for treatment, but also in everyday life. Special socks, knee-highs, tights and leggings will come in handy, for example, for sedentary or standing work, during long trips in land transport or during air travel.

Due to the constricting effect of the "compression", the blood flow is carried more into the legs, which, in turn, significantly reduces the load on the veins.

The increased pressure of the compression hosiery on the surface of the body contributes to the athlete's awareness of his position in the surrounding space, this can make him more agile, flexible and stable.

Through such clothing, oxygenated blood enters the active muscles, thanks to which the athlete has the opportunity to work even more efficiently. At the same time, the pulse rate does not increase, as in ordinary clothes, but decreases, thus relieving the excessive load on the heart.

Compression clothing for sports activities is necessary for the prevention of varicose veins, thrombosis and injuries. Recently, it has become an indispensable item of physical training ammunition in track and field athletics, cycling, football, hockey, cardio training, skiing and speed skating, and so on.

Compression clothing helps, together with venous blood and lymph, remove lactic acid or lactate from the muscles, which usually causes pain and aches in the body the next day after intense exercise. Therefore, when using the "compression", the muscles will ache less even after very strenuous and prolonged workouts.

How does it work?

The principle of compression garments is that they constrict blood vessels and press on muscles at different intensities. Blood, rising through the vessels from the bottom up, is forced to overcome the force of gravity, passing through the so-called venous valves. These valves are organized so that blood can only flow towards the heart. When functioning under normal conditions, they let blood go up, but do not allow it to return downward and accumulate there, since this is associated with the risk of edema and blood clots.

With increasing physical exertion, when a person is forced to strongly strain their muscles or just stand on their feet for a long time, the venous valves, unfortunately, may not cope with the task, because at this time the venous blood pressure increases, the pulse accelerates, and the circulatory system is noticeably overloaded ...

In this case, the veins greatly expand, the venous valves stop closing and let the blood flow in the opposite direction, which leads to an even more significant expansion of the vein.

In order to prevent such changes in loads from leading to varicose veins, it is recommended to apply elastic compression, which "straightens" the venous valves and facilitates their functioning. The narrowing of the lumen of the vein as a result of the use of compression hosiery leads to an acceleration of blood flow, thus preventing the formation of blood clots.

Compression clothing provides for varying degrees of compression: the lower the muscles are, the more pressure must be applied, making it easier for the blood flow to move from the area of greater compression to the side of less compression.

Views

Compression clothing on the market is represented by various options, the main ones are:

Knee-highs, leggings and socks - produce compression of the muscles in the lower leg area.

Stockings and tights - created for the prevention of varicose veins in women.

Leggings, Tights & Shorts - come in full length or three-quarters.

Sleeves and trousers - support the muscles of the arms, forearms and legs.

T-shirts (rashguard) - produced with or without sleeves of different lengths.

Bras and short t-shirts - products for women.

Material

Compression garments are made from synthetic elastic cotton and nylon fibers, microfiber and lycra. Thus, a rather aesthetic lightweight material is obtained that fits the body tightly.

Compression hosiery should sit tight and dress with difficulty, but not hinder movement.

Compression clothing is made of a special antimicrobial and antifungal material that prevents the formation and development of bacteria and fungi. This prevents the athlete from smelling unpleasant sweat. Moreover, such jersey is called "breathable", it allows you to evaporate moisture as quickly as possible. Such products are hypoallergenic and pleasant to the skin.

Compression clothing should be washed with a special detergent no more than once a week, and after each workout, you just need to rinse it in warm water. The temperature of the water for washing should not be higher than 35 degrees, because of the boiling water, such things will become unusable. Dry at room temperature, spread on a towel, using a tumble dryer or battery is prohibited.

Manufacturers

Adidas, Nike, Reebok, Puma, Skins, 2XU, Asics, Venum, Under Armor, Fuji, Contract Killer, Manto, Hayabusa, Jaco, Fixgear, Koral, Compressport, Scramble, X-Bionic, Bad Boy, Title, CEP and many other well-known manufacturers have included compression garments in their product range.

The famous Skins company usually produces two sets of compression clothing for each popular sport - the first for normal temperatures, the other for the cooler season.

Compression clothing from Adidas under the TECHFIT brand is also divided into groups depending on the type of sport, the required thermal conductivity and compression strength. Clothes of this brand can be stretched five times, and then instantly return to their original state.

Puma compression products have silicone inserts that run along the muscles to stimulate blood circulation.

Nike compression clothing is also quite in demand, but its prices are somewhat overpriced, since the consumer overpays for the promotion of the brand. Analogs of the patented Dri-Fit technology of similar quality can be purchased for less cost.

The name of the famous Australian brand 2XU in Russian sounds like "Twice you". The products of this company are in demand among world famous champions and teams, for example, the NBA. Compression garments from this company are made from a unique PWX material of three types with different properties.

When is it and how should it be worn?

Compression garments are commonly worn during strenuous and prolonged training sessions, as well as during competition. After heavy exertion, tired muscles in such clothes will recover faster and will not "ache".

It is not recommended to use the "compression" during normal, routine exercises: with continuous wearing, an overdose effect may occur, blood vessels and muscles will begin to be lazy and cease to maintain their natural activity. And this can cause the same troubles as with insufficient compression.

Another reason for using compression hosiery under unusual loads is a predisposition to varicose veins. If you are concerned about symptoms such as edema, spider veins and swollen saphenous veins, then such clothes will be your essential assistant and doctor.

Contraindications

In medicine, there are four classes of compression. But you can choose and purchase compression clothing on your own only the first class of compression, since only it is used for prophylaxis when you find the above health problems. In an advanced case, as well as in the presence of diseases such as atherosclerosis, orthoarteritis, endoarteritis and thromboangiitis obliterans, it is necessary to consult a specialist.

Reviews

Reviews of athletes regarding the products of well-known manufacturers contain almost no negative, few people regret buying. Compression clothing successfully copes with its task of protecting the health of its owners and preventing intractable occupational diseases from developing.

The main noted advantages of compression clothing are that it sits like a second skin, cools in the heat and warms in the cold, dries quickly, is comfortable to wear, does not press, does not pull, does not rub, does not gather in folds, durable, does not tear in training and competition, it can be easily removed from the body, even when wet. Also, athletes note the ability of such clothes to quickly relieve stress after exhausting exercises.

Negative reviews, as a rule, relate to products of a low price segment. They are mainly associated with low-quality materials from which the corresponding clothes are sewn.

Such users in their reviews complain that clothes are torn when pulled, stray into folds and quickly lose their attractive appearance.