V-CLUB TRAINING CORNER
We’ve teamed up with Marilyn Trout, certified USA Cycling Elite Coach to answer V-Club members’ training questions. You can view her coach profile at: http://www.linkedin.com/pub/marilyn-trout/19/210/bb9
Send your cycling inquiries to Marilyn, and for a limited time, if yours is selected to be answered in our V-Club column, VeloWear will send you a $20 gift certificate that can be used towards any purchase on VeloWear.com. To submit your inquiry, e-mail her at Marilyn@MountainPedals.net, and type “V-Club Training Question” in the subject line of the e-mail.
V-Club member Peter Slonsky is our 43rd winner of a $20 VeloWear gift certificate! His question that follows was answered by Peg Labiuk (nee Peggy Maass), a colleague of Marilyn Trout, and a certified NCCP level 3 coach with a career in international road and track racing. She is a World Championship medalist, World Record holder, U.S. Olympic Team member, former British national team coach and Kreb's Cycle co-founder (British Columbia, Canada).
Coach,
I'm seeing a ton of articles and advertisements about compression pants and tops.I was wondering how effective are they? The science behind the theory seems pretty solid but does it really work? Seems Lance uses compression clothing after races...is what's good enough for Lance good enough for everybody? Any cons to using compression clothing? WHEN IS VELOWEAR.COM GOING TO HAVE A COMPRESSION OUTFIT!?!?!?! Thank you for your response in advance!!!
Peter
Dear Peter,
I’ve been wondering about the compression clothing as well, so thanks for your question. While compression clothing isn’t new – the British National Cycling Team issued compression socks in 2001 after their Mountain Bike Coach developed Deep Vein Thrombosis on a lengthy flight, it is now appearing in everything from underwear to Camelbaks. Velowear.com offers awesome customized cycling clothing at affordable prices, delivered right to your door. Because they are so good at providing that, Elaine Highland of Velowear says “… we rarely if ever branch off into specialty fabrics or patterns - we try to stick to options that have been thoroughly tested out in the market. So the short answer is no, we have no plans to (make a compression outfit) right now”. Since they do offer compression socks and sleeves from DeFeet and Zensah, I went to those manufacturers for the scoop.
In addition to the product descriptions on www.velowear.com, DeFeet provided the following information about their socks:
DeFeet DeCompression socks are circular knit flat wear designed to provide athletes controlled graduated compression from ankle to just below the knee. Maximum compression is achieved at upper ankle and decreases as you move up the leg. The leg portion of DeCompressor is knit with high stretch Lycra/Nylon fibers to compress lower leg which aids return blood flow circulation. The compression is tested at 3 to 4 different points along lower leg. The unit of measure used to classify the pressure at these points is called mmHg, which stands for millimeter of mercury. To avoid getting too involved in science, mmHg is used routinely as a barometer in medicine and physiology, and also used in areas as weather reporting and scuba diving. When it comes to our DeCompressor socks, mmHg refers to how tightly the material supports the veins and muscles in the lower leg. The higher the mmHg number, the greater the graduated compression will squeeze lower leg or level of tightness. DeFeet's are constructed to provide firm compression and moderate support for the athlete. The broad 20-40mmHg range also depends on the circumference of the wearer’s leg, meaning smaller legs will result in less squeeze and larger legs will receive greater squeeze. Also note the sock portion is not rated for compression but does have some lycra content knit in foot zones to hold firmly in place.
And Zensah had this to say about their leg sleeves:
Our fabric is a blend of nylon and spandex. The silver ion is blended in its liquid state with the nylon, then woven into thread. Our mill does make the fabric, and it is through seamless technology that we are able to create the very muscle specific rib patterns that you see in our sleeves. So far as I know we are the only company that is using this exact blend. Other compression companies use polyester, which is very uncomfortable, because it is dry, does not breathe, does not wick, is not antimicrobial, nor does it offer uva/uvb protection, all features of the Zensah compression products.
Depending on the ability of the athlete, it is very beneficial to wear compression during training or racing, since they do keep muscles in place, greatly reducing vibration, they keep the venous blood flow pumping, which helps reduce lactic acid build up, all of which results in an athlete able to work out longer and harder. We have athletes who wear the sleeves prior to an event, during their event, and after for quick recovery. For our cyclists in particular, we have a new product: the thigh sleeve. This specifically targets the quads and hamstrings.
I found the additional information helpful in convincing me that the fabric is different, since I was thinking that maybe tight lycra could have the same effect. The Zensah ribbed fabric I saw did seem quite different. Being skeptical, I was considering wrapping my calves with ace bandages to simulate the effect as well. While I think that would work, the fabric wouldn’t be as soft, breathable, or convenient. Massage would also be preferable, but consider the time and expense involved. Having compression clothing on hand means no making appointments, having 24 hour access to relief.
I’m sure you have read the claims. Let me explore the claims from another website, Body Armour:
- “YOU BROKE YOUR BODY DOWN...NOW BUILD IT BACK UP. Post-Game/Post-Workout Compression That Recharges You.” Well, just about anything after a workout will recharge you, like rehydrating, stretching, or sleeping. So while this claim could be true, it isn’t exclusive. Still begs the question, how does it recharge you?
- Wear after games or workouts to re-energize your body. Wearing compression clothing after workouts makes the most sense to me. I’m not convinced that pressure on the muscles during exercise is beneficial. However, Frank Smith of Island Triathlon and Bike in Honolulu, HI pointed out that for an event like mountain bike racing, muscle vibration can be tiring, so the support of compression clothing could be beneficial. Maybe that’s why I’ve seen so many triathletes using the socks and sleeves in their races. As long as the fabric breathes as well as they claim, then they have a point.
- Strategic Compression promotes muscle repair by targeting & stabilizing muscles. Yes, you can target muscle groups with what article of clothing you choose. The socks and sleeves are formed tighter at the bottom, to have the effect of pushing up. The idea is to mimic massage, where blood flow is directed towards the heart to improve circulation and cleansing.
- Designed to reduce swelling, soreness time & fatigue. Remember the First Aid acronym RICE? That’s Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation, a proven treatment for injury. So, compression is indeed a part of that winning formula. Swelling would also be reduced by icing, soreness by NSAIDs or other pain killers, and fatigue was already addressed above under recharging. Again, not an exclusive benefit.
- Armour®Stretch improves mobility and accelerates dry time with lightweight fabrics built in a 4-way stretch. This fabric is an improvement over the ace bandage or too tight clothing options.
- Built with Flatlock Seams that feel smooth against the skin and prevent chafing. That sounds good, but if seams were too big, I wouldn’t buy the product. Worse case scenario, I’d wear the clothing inside-out, seams showing.
- 30+ UPF protects your skin from the sun's harmful rays and inhibits premature aging. Regular clothing provides some UPF protection and I’ve never seen anyone burn through a T-shirt myself. The added UPF is beneficial only if worn in sun exposure. It’s a bonus, but not a reason to use compression clothing.
- 81% Polyester / 19% Elastane 5 oz. As Zensah notes, polyester is yucky.
- Imported. Hmm. Won’t go into the politics here. Not a selling point.
It looks like the promotional material isn’t enough to draw clear conclusions about the effectiveness of these products. Two places to go now. First, I consulted my trusted former coach – a PhD in Exercise Physiology and Sports Medicine, Dr. Len Goodman. Len has always been good at explaining the scientific aspects of sports performance to me. Len says that one study of the effectiveness of compression clothing provides evidence that, “Most of the benefits are probably for venous return and lymph support during recovery. Some evidence exists that muscle vibration mitigation with compression might enhance function. But I'm like you: it would take a lot of compelling evidence to get me to look like a basketball player/geek with knee-socks while biking!!!” Right now there aren’t studies comparing compression to other recovery or performance enhancers.
Next, I solicited testimonials from athletes. One says, “I know my legs definitely recover more quickly from a serious pounding if I wear the socks.” Jessica Hannah, reigning British Columbia Provincial Road Champion relays, “I have used the skins tights. I know some of the guys and girls on the team were always wearing them religiously. I didn't notice much of a benefit at all and found they hurt my knees a bit, just seemed to push the kneecap enough that it was out of place. Maybe not wearing the right size or something.” So, perhaps the jury is still out there too.
Finally, as with anything in cycling performance, it’s going to be up to you to test for yourself whether compression is for you. As we know, at the very least, the placebo effect is powerful, so if you believe it helps, it will. I believe there are many things that help and the more you can do the better. Compression clothing appears to be convenient and relatively affordable. So, I encourage you to take the squeeze test and decide for yourself.
Peg