On Monday night, the Discovery High Performance Centre of the Sports Science Institute of South Africa held a workshop on “Recovery strategies to enhance performance”. One of the techniques discussed was the use of lower-leg compression garments to speed up recovery. In this week’s article we will dissect the findings of a recently published study, which examined the effect of lower body compression garments on subsequent cycling performance.
Cyclists are often required to compete over a period several days and the level of recovery can often determine a rider’s performance. Compression garments have become increasingly popular in different sporting codes as a potential mechanism to enhance recovery. The use of compression during sporting activities is also becoming more popular; however the effect of compression during sport is still unclear. Early studies seem to suggest that ‘explosive sports’ may benefit from the use of compression, but there is little evidence supporting their use endurance activities.
Researchers from Lincoln University in Christchurch, New Zealand recently investigated the effect of lower body compression garments on subsequent cycling time trial performance. The study was well-designed and included a placebo trial, where the participants received a ‘bogus’ treatment. The placebo trial involved a non-compressive garment, which had similar material properties to the compression garment. In order to assist in ‘blinding’ the cyclists to which of the treatments they were receiving, the researchers informed the cyclists that the purpose of the study was to compare the effect of two types of compression garments. This way, the cyclists always thought they were receiving a compression garment.
The study had a single-blind crossover design, which means that the researchers knew which treatment the cyclists were getting, but the cyclists did not. The cyclists also received both treatments following a one week wash out period and the order of the treatments was randomised. The effect of the compression garments was measured by asking the cyclists to complete two 40 km Time Trials (40km TT) separated by 24 hours of recovery. During the 24 hour recovery period, the cyclists wore either the compression or placebo garments for the full 24 hour recovery period, before repeating the 40km TT.
The garment was put on after the first TT and removed before the second TT. The compression garment used in this particular study was the Skins full-leg lower body (hip to ankle) compression garment. The 40km TT is regarded as a valid measure of cycling performance, which adds weight to the results of the study. The cyclists were asked to maintain a steady level of training during the study and kept detailed logbooks of their diets to ensure that these two factors did not influence their performances.
The results of the study showed a clear benefit to wearing a compression garment during the 24 hour recovery period following strenuous cycling. The 40km TT time and average power output was higher following the compression trial compared to the placebo trial. The researchers analysed the 40km TT performance further by examining the average power output during four 10km splits during the TT. The compression garments produced consistently higher average power outputs during the entire TT.
This is significant, because it shows that the improvement following the compression intervention was not due to an initially higher power output, but rather a consistently improved performance. If you would like to read the article yourself, you can find it in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, Volume 26, Issue 2, Pages 480 – 486.
At the High Performance Centre, we always ask ourselves how we apply research to our athletes. The results of this particular study seem to support the use of compression garments following intense cycling as a way to improve recovery and subsequent performance. If you have had a particularly hard session on the bike and you do not want your subsequent training quality to be effected, then it appears that the use of compression garments may aid in improving recovery. In addition, with multi-stage racing becoming increasingly more popular, compression garments may be a useful tool to use daily to enhance recovery and performance for the remaining stages.
About the author:
Benoit Capostagno completed his BSc degree (cum laude) specialising in the Sport Sciences at the University of Stellenbosch in 2006. He continued his studies at the University of Cape Town’s Research Unit for Exercise Science and Sports Medicine completing his honours with a first class pass in 2007. He is continuing his postgraduate work with his PhD at this same unit and is investigating training adaptation and fatigue in cyclists. He has been a consultant with the Sports Science Institute of South Africa’s High Performance Centre’s Cycling Division since 2009. In addition, Ben has been an active cycling coach with Science to Sport since 2010.
Nice article. From my brief read through it looks like it confirms what other studies have said: good for recovery (similar benefits to ice bath) but doesn't increase performance when worn during exercise?