Our Sports Physiologist Dr Annette Eastwood recently travelled to Hawaii to compete in the Ironman World Championships. We caught up with Annette to see how CAPE custom fit compression assisted with her travel and recovery.
Travel
The flight to Hawaii was almost 10 hours during which time I used the custom fit calf sleeves. I was amazed that I didn’t have any swelling in my feet or ankles at all, and my legs felt great when I walked off the plane. I went for a run when I arrived and had no stiffness or soreness in my calves which was quite surprising. I have travelled extensively for work over the past few years and previously only had access to standard sized garments. I would always get swelling in my feet and would struggle to put on my shoes at the end of the flight. Sometimes I had to take off the garments mid flight because they were way too restrictive and causing pain in my calf muscles and swelling around the cuffs. I didn’t experience this at all with CAPE due to the custom fit and accurate compression regimes for travel.
Recovery
I’ve been using CAPE custom fit calf sleeves and leg sleeves for recovery in the months leading up to the event. I always use them following hard running sessions to reduce muscle soreness and allow me to back up for another session the same day or the following day.
With a busy work and training schedule, I don’t often have time for additional recovery sessions so having a practical recovery solution that I can use anywhere following training is a huge advantage. I would often do a long run in the morning and go straight to work with my compression garments on!
During the event, I used these garments in the days leading up to the race to ensure that I was recovered and ready to perform. Immediately following the event I wore my calf sleeves overnight and again the following day. They were really helpful in reducing muscle soreness in the days post race.
Custom fit for athletes
Having the opportunity to use custom fit compression for recovery and travel has been very beneficial for me in preparing for the Ironman World Championships. Standard sized garments which are sized based on height and weight do not take into account differences in limb size and shape which can be quite variable in athletes. Consequently, with standard sized garments the compression regimes are often inappropriate and ineffective. With CAPE custom fit, I finally have compression garments that fit correctly and actually work!
