Air travel can increase the risk of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and other circulatory problems due to prolonged periods of reduced mobility. Compression garments have been shown to reduce the incidence of DVT, superficial vein thrombosis and oedema during travel (Clarke et al., 2021).
Who should use compression garments for travel?
Anyone who undertakes frequent travel such as air crew, athletes, business or recreational travellers would be well advised to use compression garments to maintain health whilst flying.
Due to intense competition schedules, many elite athletes are required to travel extensively throughout a competitive season. Therefore, adopting strategies to minimise the effect of travel can enhance both athlete performance and recovery.
It has been shown that wearing compression garments on a 6-hour flight can attenuate the decrement in athletic performance associated with travel (Kraemer et al., 2016). Similarly, compression garments worn during long haul air travel maintained exercise performance and reduced lower limb swelling in elite volleyball players (Broatch et al., 2019).
Why correct fit and compression regimes are important
For compression garments to be effective they must be custom fitted to each individual and apply the correct compression regime. Current research advocates the use of custom fit compression garments for genuine benefits, as opposed to off the shelf compression garments which are sized generically and have been shown to provide variable levels of pressure and inconsistent benefits (Brown et al., 2022).
During travel, heart rate is normal and movement is limited, therefore low to moderate grade compression is comfortable, invokes vasodilation and reduces swelling / oedema. This is very different to athletic performance which requires a different compression regime.
By choosing custom fit travel compression garments, you’re set to go!
REFERENCES:
- Broatch JR. et al., (2019). Effects of sports compression socks on performance, physiological, and hematological alterations after long-haul air travel in elite female volleyballers. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. 33(2): 492-501.
- Brown, F, Hill, JA., Pedler, CR. (2022b). Compression Garments for Recovery from Muscle Damage: Evidence and Implications of Dose Responses. Current Sports Medicine Reports (21 (2); 45-52.
- Clarke MJ, Broderick C, Hopewell S, Juszczak E, Eisinga A. (2021). Compression stockings for preventing deep vein thrombosis in airline passengers. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2021, Issue 4. Art. No.: CD004002.
- Kraemer WJ. et al., (2016). The effects of a roundtrip trans-American jet travel on physiological stress, neuromuscular performance, and recovery. J Appl Physiol 121: 438–448.
