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Video: Compression Clothing For Sports: Placebo Effect Or Real Relief
Compression clothing for sports: placebo effect or real relief
What is the most important thing when playing sports? What provides the athlete with the safety of the exercise? What determines success at the start? Technics! It is the technique that has been perfected over the years, it is the technique that is monitored by the judges, and it is the technique that makes the athlete follow the position of the joints, the position of the legs, clear movements of the arms and head.
Why sports compression clothing was invented
But with intense loads and, even more so, at competitions, the main task of an athlete is to maintain the pace, come to the finish line, break the record, and win. The temptation to break the technique is great. And least of all in these minutes the athlete feels and is aware of changes in his physiological data. Therefore, with intense types of loads, athletes move away from the ideal execution of the technique in favor of the result. But it is these violations that provoke the appearance of injuries.
Compression clothing is an athlete's compressive equipment, usually made of nylon and elastane, that fits on the body like a "second skin", tight fitting. Types of compression clothing: rashguard, compression shorts and pants, leggings, socks, sleeves.
Compression garments were designed to support muscles and, as a result, joints. It:
enhances the effect of proprioception;
- protects muscles, tendons, ligaments, joints, supporting and fixing them in the correct position;
- acts on neurons that signal the brain about the slightest wrong position.
- additional stress on tendons, ligaments and joints;
- increased likelihood of injury.
- normalizes blood circulation, allowing muscles to recover faster;
- it is such clothes that are capable of acting on neurons and forcing them to transmit accurate information to the brain during intense movement;
- has a massage effect, preventing the stagnation of blood in the limbs.
- Flat seams. Due to the high tightening effect, bulging seams will irritate and chafe the skin.
- Landing. Perfect fit of leggings, leggings, cycling shorts - high fit.
- Sports discipline. For yoga, Pilates, stretching and stretching, choose cotton clothing. Compression is best used for high intensity workouts.
Impact of sports compression clothing
1. On proprioception
Proprioception is a feeling and awareness of the position of your body in space. Thanks to this property of the body, we feel the pressure on the muscles, the angle of position of the limbs, we are aware of the speed of movement of the joints. It is compression clothing that allows you to subconsciously follow the correct technique, better feel the position of the joints and the position of the legs, the movement of the arms, which ensures safe movement and prevents the appearance of offensive, absurd injuries.
2. On the inflammatory response
An inflammatory response is an event following tissue damage that leads to swelling and pain. Wearing compression garments puts external pressure on the body, which lowers osmotic pressure and reduces the space available for swelling and hematoma.
3. For recovery
Compression garments are used as a method to improve long-term and immediate recovery from exercise. As shown in a 2013 study (Howatson G., van Someren K., Leeder J., Pedlar C., Compression garments and recovery from exercise-induced muscle damage: a meta-analysis, 2013), compression garments clearly improve long-term strength recovery and muscle power between training sessions, but urgent recovery is not confirmed or confirmed to a small degree of influence.
Protecting and fixing muscles in compression garments
Compression clothing is most popular with athletes involved in crossfit, triathlon, cycling, running, playing sports. During intense loads when running and jumping, the muscles begin to shake, losing their static. As a result:
there is a waste of energy;
Due to the tightening effect, compression clothing helps to keep muscles in place, reduces muscle vibration during dynamic activity, such as high jumps. Reducing muscle vibration during exercise is thought to reduce muscle fatigue and tissue damage.
Impact on neurons of compression clothing
The effect of compression garments on neurons is the most contentious issue. It is he who is the basis of distrust in compression clothing. The cells of our brain (neurons) transmit signals to each other using special substances called neurotransmitters - a kind of language of cells.
When choosing between expensive compression garments and inexpensive tight leggings, most athletes pay attention to familiar brands and fabrics.
Science is involved in the creation of compression garments. And there are well-known brands that invest huge amounts of money in the science and development of high-tech fabrics. The ideal that all designers strive for is to provide compression of the fabric equal to the stretch. Such clothes are difficult to wear, but it is she who, according to scientists and developers, provides:
feeling of "second skin";
The main difficulty is that all research carried out by developers in institutes is silent. No one wants to share their designs for fear of competition.
Selection of sports compression clothing
Either way, compression sportswear is more comfortable for intense sports. The main thing, when buying and choosing, pay attention to:
Convenience. Clothes must be exactly in size.
We can definitely say that the slimming effect created by compression garments has a positive effect on the sensations during training. But it is impossible to say for sure about the effect on neurons and the restorative effect until scientific facts and studies are published. Focus on your feelings, pay more attention to comfort and then your workouts will be effective.
Author: Savosya. Especially for Calorizator.ru
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