Many devices and modalities are used by athletes to facilitate recovery, however nothing provides greater value for money than custom fit compression. Here’s why:
Research has shown that wearing custom fit compression garments results in faster recovery of lower body strength in rugby players following exercise induced muscle damage. When custom fit compression garments were worn, recovery of lower body strength was 10% greater than off the shelf compression or no compression. Lower body strength performance returned to baseline values after 24 hours with custom fit compression however was still impaired after 48 hours when commercially available garments were worn (Brown et al., 2022).
Compare these findings to other recovery modalities such as intermittent pneumatic compression (IPC) where research has shown that IPC may provide immediate short-term reduction in perception of muscle soreness, however it does not provide any continued benefit beyond the immediate post treatment phase (Stedge and Armstrong 2021).
Ice baths are often used by athletes as a recovery modality, however this requires access to facilities and in certain situations this may be impractical (eg a flight straight after a game). Also, it has been shown that cold water immersion may attenuate muscle adaptation to resistance training (Roberts et al., 2015), so if the goals are to improve strength, then ice baths may be counterproductive.
From a practical perspective, there are advantages of using custom fit compression garments over other recovery modalities.
– Wearing compression garments doesn’t require access to specific facilities or cumbersome equipment so can be used anywhere.
– Compression garments can be worn for prolonged periods of time following a training session or a competitive event.
– Compression garments provide benefits to athletes during travel, particularly long-haul flights to reduce swelling and the risk of deep vein thrombosis.
– Cost of compression garments is significantly less than other recovery devices
– Compression garments can be specifically fitted to the individual athlete to ensure accurate compression every time.
And if that’s not enough to convince you, here are a couple of our testimonials:
“CAPE’s custom fit provided our players with specific, medical grade compression that helped our players recover from the demands of both travel and training”.
Darren Burgess former Head of Performance at Melbourne Football Club
“The players love the custom fit and have worn them everywhere. All of them want CAPE”
Ian McKeown former Head of Performance at Port Adelaide Football Club
So considering cost, practicality and proven benefits, and athlete feedback, custom fit compression garments are the best value recovery device you can own.
Can you prove us wrong?
REFERENCES:
1. Brown, F, Jeffries, O, Gissane, C, Howatson, G, van Someren, K, Pedlar, C, Myers, T, and Hill, JA. (2022): Custom-fitted compression garments enhance recovery from muscle damage in rugby players. J Strength Cond Res. 36(1): 212-219.
2. Roberts, LA., Raastad, T., Markworth, JF., Figueiredo, VC., Egner, IM., Shield, A., Cameron-Smith, D., Coombes, JS and Peake, JM. (2015). Post-exercise cold water immersion attenuates acute anabolic signalling and long-term adaptations in muscle to strength training. J Physiol 593 (18): 4285–4301.
3. Stedge,H.L., and Armstrong, K. (2021). The Effects of Intermittent Pneumatic Compression on the Reduction of Exercise-Induced Muscle Damage in Endurance Athletes: A Critically Appraised Topic. Journal of Sport Rehabilitation, 30, 668-671.
