Ever since I saw Paula Radcliffe wearing a pair of compression socks, I’ve been wanting to try them to see if they really do prevent lactic acid buildup during a race and speed recovery. Well, fortunately for me, the good folks at Zensah recently sent me a pair of theirs to try out. Actually, they sent me something close – their Compression Leg Sleeves, which are basically the same as compression socks except that start at the ankle rather than covering the foot. I tried them out today during an interval workout on the treadmill.
Here’s what the Zensah web site says this about their leg sleeves:
The Calf/Shin recovery sleeves are made with gradient compression which provides wide ribbing in the front for shin support, and tight ribbing in the back for calf support. The sleeves are made with Zensah Fabric® which has silver helping regulate skin temperature, and fight bacteria. The sleeves can be worn during training to increase oxygen blood flow to the muscles of the lower leg. The more oxygen the muscles receive the faster they recovery allowing athletes to push the envelope in their training. The Zensah Calf/Shin sleeve is ideal for runners, cyclists and triathletes. It can be worn during training, recovery or for traveling after races.
When I first put on the sleeves, my first impression was that they were actually quite comfortable. The fabric was soft and lightweight but still felt supportive. As I proceeded with my run, they remained comfortable and non-binding.
But will they improve my running? Well, maybe. An article in the Running Times said this about compression socks:
However, a study presented at the 2007 American College of Sports Medicine annual meeting in New Orleans suggested there were no statistically significant differences in maximal oxygen consumption, heart rate or minute ventilation between treadmill runners who wore compression socks and those who did not. According to the study, conducted at Stellenbosch University in South Africa, subjects did, however, show a faster lactate recovery rate after exercise when wearing the compression socks, suggesting that compression socks might speed recovery after a strenuous workout or a race.
So, the conclusion from this study is that compression socks/leg sleeves may not help you when you wear them while running, but they might help you recover sooner if you wear them after a run. That alone makes them worth trying in my opinion.
If you want to try these out for yourself, Zensah has been kind enough to provide me with a code for 10% off especially for the readers of this blog. Just go to http://zensah.com, add a pair of the compression leg sleeves to your cart, and enter the code fastrunner10 when you check out.
And if you try these out, be sure to let me know what you think!
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{ 7 comments }
I’m intrigued by compression socks and these leg sleeves. The aspect that really intrigues me is slipping something like this on after a hard effort and seeing what it does for recovery.
Twitter: kchealy
January 15, 2009 at 7:50 am
This is a far from scientific opinion, Jill, but the day after wearing them, my legs did seem fresher than they usually would.
Twitter: britishbulldog
January 14, 2009 at 8:13 pm
I’ve been thinking of trying the Zensah’s on my long runs, but am also interested to see how much they aid recovery.
Zensah, if you read this, I’d love to try a pair out and review them on my blog.
Nice review by the way. Do they slip at all when you’re wearing them?
–Steve
Twitter: kchealy
January 15, 2009 at 7:51 am
They didn’t slip at all Steve. The way they fit, I can’t imagine this being a problem unless you had ridiculously skinny, no-muscle, bird-like legs!
I’m a huge fan of compression; I have 2XU compression sleeves that I use for training, running & triathlons and pair of CW-X Pro tights that are extremely comfortable and make my legs feel great during marathons. While the jury may be out on reducing lactic acid buildup or O2, I feel those studies are missing the point. The key reasons I wear them are for the support on the muscle to prevent fatigue from shaking during thousands of footfalls and the comfort of a material that massages my muscles while running. The ITB massage I get from the ribbing in my CW-X tights are worth the price alone! If adding the compression (tights or leg sleeves) improves comfort during a 70.3 tri or marathon/ultra then they are worth it! I don’t have an issue being the guy in leg sleeves or tights — even in AZ — I guess I’m secure enough in my manliness.
Twitter: kchealy
January 15, 2009 at 5:00 pm
Brett – excellent point on the muscle support. I’ve always been a fan of compression shorts for that reason.
Zensah sent me a pair of those as well to review, they are comfortable.
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