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Compression Socks for Runners

September 7, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Compression Socks for Runners – the Characteristics of Good Compression Socks You Should Know

What exactly are compression socks for runners? People in healthcare sector are quite familiar with the benefits of having this type of socks. Many nurses use these type stockings during their clinical duties. Before delving deeper, let’s find out what a pair of compression socks does to the body.

The circulatory mechanism of the body is designed to distribute blood from the heart to the different parts of the body. Once the blood has delivered the necessary oxygen all throughout the body, the blood returns to the heart where the deoxygenated blood, the blood lacking oxygen, is again pumped by the heart to the lungs to become oxygenated again. However, the return of the blood to the heart is disrupted when a person is continuously on his or her feet all day. The blood tends to pool in the lower legs and feet which causes leg cramps and even edema. Like healthcare workers, athletes experience this problem.

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Athletic Compression Socks

August 26, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Do athletic compression socks make a runner run faster?

Athletes have always been advised to wear specialized gear such as athletic compression socks. This is so because athletes face strenuous sports activity during training and competition that muscles are most likely to be damaged due to overstretching. Though they may give several health benefits to the athlete, are they likely to also fasten the pace of athletes, especially runners?

Athletic compression socks are used mostly by athletes, but also by those who have vein problems. How do these work on your legs? In a perfect world, blood goes down to the legs and are transported back to the heart. However, because of gravity, blood is not circulated properly and most of it is pooled down. When this happens, it can cause several circulatory problems. It is the job of compression socks to squeeze those pooled blood up so they can be transported back to the heart.

But do compression socks for runners really improve their performance? In order to answer this, a test was conducted among 21 runners. They were divided into two groups: one with the compression socks and the other wearing  ordinary socks. The result clearly showed that the performance improvement of those wearing compression socks depends on what type of compression sock they wore.

Though not directly stated on the test’s result, compression socks for runners may speed up running performance. This could be because they allow the proper circulation of the blood in the legs. With this, runners feel more comfortable when running. However, the brand of the compression socks used could also be a factor in speeding up the runner’s performance. Those compressions socks which offer the greatest compression on the ankle and calf area of the leg would bring out probably the best performance out of an athlete, including a runner. Again, this could be because of the squeezing of the sock to help transport the blood back and preventing vein problems. Also, because this squeezes blood up to the heart, this also speeds up the blood circulation.

Though not proven directly, it seems that athletic compression socks do help in speeding up a runner on his run. Because they help improve blood circulation in the legs, the discomfort caused by circulation and vein problems are nearly eliminated, thus making them feel more comfortable during their running. If runners want to improve their running performance, they should definitely try athletic compression socks.

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Compression Socks for Running – A Must Have Addition to Your Performance Apparel

August 23, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Why Athletes Need Compression Socks for Running?

Up until recently, compression socks for running were totally nonexistent; compression socks and stockings were only used for medical purposes to treat people with circulatory problems like diabetes or prevent conditions like deep vein thrombosis. But soon after the introduction of the world to compression stockings, people started to notice its benefits and thought of applying these features to things that we do in our everyday life, that is how the different compression socks such as the athletic compression socks came to be.

Now, you can find compression socks for running, hiking, cycling, and a variety of other activities that require quite a bit of exertion of the extremities, there are even such things as compression sleeves for the arms. These things have been enjoying a growing popularity because of the benefits that they provide for the people who choose to use them.

Compression socks and stockings are said to grant an array of benefits like increased stability during running or walking, added support for prolonged times of standing, reduction in the occurrence of leg cramps, better shock absorption when running and used for other sports related activities, increased endurance in the sense that a person can run or walk longer without feeling any leg pain from fatigue, less occurrence of potential injuries because of the added support, an added thermal protection during days with low temperatures, and a faster recovery period from muscle pain brought about by a day of heavy exertion.

These are the reasons why more and more sports enthusiasts are turning to the athletic compression socks in order to give them the best possible conditions for their work outs and competitions. The science behind the effectiveness of this simple yet very useful performance clothing is surprisingly simple, as its name implies, the socks rely on its ability for improved “compression” or pressure on the muscles of the upper or lower extremities. Since we are talking about compression socks, let us concentrate on how they work for the lower extremities, the foot and legs receive just about the same amount of blood from the heart as any other extremity, the problem is, the blood tends to pool in the lower extremities because these are the parts of the body most affected by gravity, that is where problems in proper blood circulation can arise, this is also the cause of cramps and fatigue in athletes.

Compression socks remedy this problem because these socks are designed to exert pressure on key areas of the lower extremities and improve the circulation by increasing the arterial pressure in the blood vessels and promoting the flow of blood back to the heart. And when this happens, the pooling of blood in the lower extremities is prevented which ensures that the legs and feet are give a constant and proper supply of oxygen rich blood.

The pressure created by the athletic compression socks come from the materials from which they are fashioned from, these are usually spandex or rubber based cloths. When looking to purchase products such compression socks for running, make sure that you are purchasing the ones that are made of high quality materials as they will last much longer and prove to be much more useful.

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Healthy and Effective Athletic Compression Running Socks

August 17, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Healthy and Effective Athletic Compression Running Socks

If there is one basic accessory that cyclists, runners and athletes can’t do without it is a good pair of athletic compression running socks. This very fundamental garment can help improve your leg and feet performance. Unbelievable as it may sound, a mere sock can improve your running performance and increase the blood flow to the legs and feet. It may not be a special machine or piece of equipment, but it really does work.

To start off, compression running socks are scientifically modified to compress vital areas covered by the socks. The constricting technology allows wearers especially athletes to increase blood flow to areas needing circulation so as to stay energized and strong. The most common example of compression technology is with NBA basketball players. Most star players wear athletic compression running socks and arm sleeves in order to increase their running abilities and boost their shooting skills. Compression technology provides the right type of benefit even when an athlete is still in the field.

Athletes have different preferences, this maybe a reason as to the different in height and thickness of athletic compression running socks. To take advantage of its benefits, every detail should be noted to identify what specific breadth an athlete might need. For instance, in winter season, athletes may prefer to use thicker compression running socks. Its thickness wills not only offer benefits like energy and stamina to your legs and feet but it will also make you feel warmer. As to warm climates, the elasticity of the compression socks shields the legs from overheating. Generally speaking, compression socks are adaptable to any weather. Its benefits are still intact.

With regards to cost, compression running socks are reasonably cheap. A great pair of compression socks can be bought for $10. Athletes need this item of clothing not just because of its practicality but also for affordability. Regarding color coordination, athletes have no dilemma in mixing and matching compression socks because these garments come in all kinds of colors. It also helps if athletes try on different athletic compression running socks in order to compare its benefits and to find the perfect pair for any game.

Although they may look similar, athletic compression running socks should be distinguished from dress socks. Compression socks, or support socks, are modeled to supply additional support to the area and enhance blood circulation. Its main purpose is to provide regulated pressure on the foot and the lower leg. Other kinds of socks may offer compression, but not as beneficial as compression socks.

In order to fully understand its effects, compression running socks are based on the application of graduated pressure. On a normal day, blood circulates equally throughout the body. On the other hand, gravity blood to pools in the feet and legs. This can cause leg cramps or fatigue.  It can also lead to serious circulatory problems like thrombosis, edema and phlebitis.

A pair of athletic compression running socks can offer an affordable solution to these issues. Rubber or spandex is used to produce the right amount of pressure needed by the body. From the tightest area, the ankle, the socks progressively becomes less constrictive as it reaches up to the knees. Compression running socks also boost arterial pressure making it a necessary every day item, even for ordinary people.

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