
If that’s you, by all means, go with what you feel works for you! Compression socks and recovery Plenty of runners are die-hard fans and will tell you anecdotally that they think compression socks make a difference.

In other words, it appears that compression socks are probably unlikely to help you run faster or prevent muscle damage during a training run or a race. And again, in this study, similar results were found for trail runners.

Similar results were found among half ironman triathletes – there was no improvement in performance or muscle damage.A 2015 study found that compression socks did not improve running pace nor did they prevent exercise-induced muscle damage during a marathon run among experienced runners.In other words, athletes felt like they were working harder when wearing compression socks. A 2016 study in female 5K runners found that compression socks didn’t affect performance in 5K time trials, and actually increased RPE.Here are a few highlights from recent studies: However, it appears that as of now, the majority of the research does not support a performance benefit. Studies on running with compression socks and correlations to performance have been controversial, with some studies suggesting small possible benefits. Compression socks and running performance I don’t personally think this has been proven for running performance yet (as you’ll see in the research below) – but the socks have shown a benefit for recovery, which is where I think their real value is. Some athletic manufacturers have taken this concept and ran with it, claiming that compression socks will help circulate blood faster on a run and improve oxygen delivery to the muscles. The pressure is generally graduated compression, meaning it’s a bit tighter at the ankle and a bit looser towards the knee.Ĭompression socks are actually quite common in the medical community, often used by people that have blood circulation issues where blood tends to pool in the extremities. The thought is that the compression applies pressure to the blood vessels, and should help blood circulate through the legs a bit better. Because of this, they feel tighter than normal socks.

Just like it sounds, they’re a knee-high sock that applies compression – or in other words, they squeeze your calves a bit. If you’ve never used compression socks, you might be wondering what they actually are. Let’s break it all down… What are compression socks? But don’t skip over them just yet! There definitely appear to be some benefits when it comes to recovery. You might be surprised that most research suggests the answer is “not much” when it comes to running performance. But when it comes to running with compression socks, the question is – do they actually do anything? Compression socks are certainly trendy in the running community, with athletes across the country sporting the knee-high attire.
