Do compression garments enhance recovery for cyclists?

[hayleyearth]

I think so.

 

I wear a full lenth compression sock on my one leg. This thing is super tight (takes me about 5min to get it on). It is for medical reasons. I have been riding without it the last 2 month or so, but back to wearing it full time since last week again (unfortunatly the intial problem never went away fully.)

 

So I find after a ride where I pushed a bit harder than my usual snail pace that my leg without the sock has muscle pain and more tired the next day, the one with the sock feels fine. I have in the last 2 years try to see if it isnt because I 'push harder' with the other leg, but it isnt, because that is the usual side with knee pain due to skew back/ITB/etc.

 

So yes, I think it helps.

['Dale]

I use it when I fly internationally

Definitely assists with fatigue when I have to sit for long hours in a flying metal toothpaste tube

[James Mulholland]

what was the control ?( or placebo ) surely they knew they were not wearing a compression garment.

"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."

[RastaMan]

Only socks are?

Bibs are not............

sorry wasn't to clear on this. compression socks are banned. socks may not extend over you calf.

There was a recent GCN show on all ridiculous bans by the UCI, this was one of them