Players may not fully recover between games in such congested seasons, and this may impact performance on the field. Players participating in two or more games per week with less than 4 days recovery are also at greater risk of injury (Alterriba – Bartes et al., 2020).
Compression garments are widely used by professional footballers to reduce muscle soreness and improve recovery during the competitive season. However, for compression garments to be consistently effective, it’s important that they fit correctly and accurately. Standard fit (off the shelf garments) which are sized on height and weight, have been shown to provide variable levels of compression and inconsistent benefits (Hill et al., 2015, Brown et al., 2022). Given the variation in body shapes and sizes within a team, it is impossible for all players to receive accurate compression with off the shelf brands.
The only way to guarantee that compression is effective, is to size garments to each individual player based on a 3D scan. This ensures each player receives correct fitting garments with accurate compression regimes for maximal benefits. A study with rugby players showed a 10% improvement in recovery with custom fit compression compared to off the shelf (Brown et al., 2022).
During the competitive season, with only a few days between matches, football players can maximise recovery by choosing custom fit compression garments.
Image credit: Edoardo Busti
REFERENCES:
- Altarriba-Bartes A, Peña J, Vicens-Bordas J, Milà-Villaroel R, Calleja-Gonzalez J (2020) Post competition recovery strategies in elite male soccer players. Effects on performance: A systematic review and meta-analysis. PLoS ONE 15(10).
- 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
- Hill, J., Howatson, G., Someren, K., Davidson, S., & Pedlar, C. (2015). The variation in pressures exerted by commercially available compression garments. Sports Engineering (Springer Science & Business Media B.V.), 18, 115-121.
