icon-account icon-glass

Popular Products

The Lean Protein
Whey protein powder for weight-loss.
The Energy Booster
Pre/intra-workout powder with BCAAs.
The Glow Booster
Collagen supplement for skin.

You’re Probably Missing The Benefits Of Compression Clothing For Fitness And Health

21st February 2022

21st February 2022

By Beth Shelper

As if deciding what ‘day’ it is at the gym, what workouts you’re going to do and whether or not to add cardio to the mix at your next gym session wasn’t enough, next comes the small detail of what you’re going to wear.

Now, you may be thinking: who cares what I wear to the gym? It’s the gym.

We totally agree, here at Innermost, we’re big believers in the idea that you should wear whatever you want, whenever you want. The truth of it is, deciding what to wear at the gym is not about how you look. So, go ahead and wear those snazzy yoga pants. Rock them.

When talking about what to wear at the gym, we’re talking about the type of clothing you should be wearing. We’re talking about compression wear.

What is compression wear?

When it comes to compression wear, the clue is in the name. The aim of the garment is to fit tightly to the wearer in order to compress, easing blood flow, reducing sweat and improving overall athletic performance.

Compression wear and compression garments are available in a range of sizes, colours and designs to ensure that athletes of all ages, sizes and requirements can benefit from the fabric technology. Usually made from elastin and nylon, for their compressive qualities.

Types of compression wear clothing include socks, shorts, leggings and upper body garments, and these are most commonly worn by gym goers and athletes, although those that don’t participate in regular exercise or sport can benefit from compression garments and their health benefits, too.

What are the benefits of compression wear and compression garments?

Whether you opt to wear a number of compression wear garments during a workout, or just choose to cover one limb with the compression garment (such as an area affected by injury, like a calf), compression garments are hugely beneficial in a number of ways.

Here are some of our favourite benefits of compression clothing:

Does sports compression clothing increase athletic performance?

The market for compression wear is huge, suggesting that these garments are particularly beneficial when it comes to improving athletic performance: but is that strictly true? Let’s dive in. Some of the world’s biggest sports brands all back the claims, with all offering extensive ranges of compression garments in every size and colour to suit all.  

Things we love to see.

Whilst this all sounds great, though, some investigations seem to contradict these claims, and potentially indicate that the above brands shout the praises of these compression garments from a marketing perspective. Hmmm.

Let’s take a look at the science.

Investigations into compression garments and sports performance

Scientific investigations seem to corroborate that whilst compression garments don’t seem to have a huge impact on overall performance, such as one study conducted by Nike who found that there was no significant difference between runners who wore compression wear and those that didn’t during a 30 minute run, the real benefits come during the recovery side of things.

From this we can conclude that whilst compression wear brings a host of benefits to the table in the health and fitness world, we should prioritise using these garments during an injury.

That leads us on pretty nicely to our next point…

Using compression garments for injuries

If you’re currently suffering from an injury – maybe a pulled muscle, sprain or a torn ligament, compression garments can be hugely beneficial in reducing recovery time and maximising results.

Compression garments are usually used in the treatment of the following injuries:

All in all, the evidence speaks for itself. Compression wear brings a host of benefits, and whilst the garments don’t necessarily correlate with an increase in performance, multiple studies have hailed the sportswear in terms of it’s benefits when it comes to injury recovery.

Product Spotlight

Other Insights

This Is How Sleep Helps You Recover From Exercise And Injury
We’ve all been there. You go for a hard workout, pushing yourself as far as you can and … by the end your reward is a new personal best and a series of aching muscles (or worse an injury). In these scenarios, it can feel frustrating. After such an exercise high, the first thing you want to do is to beat your record again and yet you’re now stuck with the muscle pain wondering how long it will take to heal. The fact is that regardless of an individual’s workout experience, sport recovery is fundamental to muscle repair. While there are many ways to speed up the recovery process like taking our Innermost Recover Capsules or slowly rebuilding the muscles through light walks, most of us frequently neglect the most important form of recovery which is adequate sleep. While one-night of low sleep alone won’t impact long-term recovery, figures show that 77% of adults are not sleeping the recommended 8 hours a day and as many as 18% sleep less than 6 hours. As we’ve previously written about the benefits that exercise can have on sleep, we feel its only fair to highlight the importance that sleep has on workout recovery. Why is sleep so important in recovery? As frustrating as it can be, it’s nigh-on impossible to quickly recover from muscle pain and continue to smash those PBs without adequate rest. While getting a good amount of sleep can seem like a small afterthought (perhaps even a luxury) when we have to fit it around our busy lives, a decent night’s rest is where the body is best at recovering the soft and neural tissues after an intense workout. But just why is that? How is it your body heals faster during sleep and what is the science behind it?    Increased Blood flow Interestingly, this occurs during Non-Rem Stage 3 of the sleep cycle in which the body is in the deepest part of sleep. During this stage the body priorities the repairing and regrowth of body tissue, as well as building bone and muscle (sounds like a good exercise-recovery plan to me). While it might seem like it should be the opposite, the faster recovery can largely be attributed to the increased blood flow and therefore greater flow of oxygen and nutrients to the damaged muscles during this sleep stage. Recovery Hormones A well-rested sleep - in line with the internal body clock - also plays a part in the production and regulation of several hormones that stimulate muscle recovery. During the deep stages of Non-REM sleep for instance the pituitary gland aids in the repairing of muscles through the release of growth hormones. Evidence also shows that a well-rested night contributes to improved performance and pain sensitivity as the hormone prolactin – released during this process – regulates muscle inflammation and allows the body to heal itself effectively. Faster reflex times Another perhaps overlooked benefit of sleep on an individual’s recovery are the improvements to cognitive response it can bring during the muscle rehabilitation process. A faster reflex time is a good example of this. In truth, during a light workout after injury the last thing you want to do is put unwanted pressure on a muscle. An improved reflex time allows an individual to react faster and with clearer judgment to any potential hazards and avoiding a recovery setback through injury inflammation. Improved Mental Wellbeing We know we’ve mentioned this before, but a key benefit of exercise is the positive impact it can have on mental wellbeing – thanks to our good endorphin friends serotonin and dopamine. That’s just another reason why recovering from any injury can be a tough challenge; you lose the elation of a phenomenon like runners high and suddenly, your mood can begin to dip. Getting into the routine of a good night’s sleep can actually contribute to improved mental clarity and wellness. This is because the brain’s ability to process positive emotional information is improved during REM - which occurs more frequently from longer sleep. How to get the best possible sleep While it’s true that a deep sleep is really important to recovering from injury, all this means nothing if you’re tossing and turning all night. To this end, there are a few changes surrounding sleep conditions that can vastly improve an individual’s quality of sleep. Sleeping Comfort The idea of comfort being tied to good sleep, who would have guessed? But you’d be surprised how often we take comfort for granted, especially during period of muscle fatigue or after an injury. While the Mayo Clinic recommends sleeping on your side to improve airway clearance, you should try and sleep in a position that best accommodates the muscle injury – the last thing anyone wants to do is to strain the muscle further during a night’s sleep. If you’re not sure on the best position to not further aggravate an injury, consider seeking advise from your doctor or a medical professional. It’s also a good idea to try and invest in a quality mattress that offers healthy pressure relief on injury pain points to better optimise sleep recovery.    Sleeping Environment Often times, the environment with which we sleep in can be just as important as the bed itself in getting a good night’s rest and repairing the muscles. We’d recommend trying to create a restful, cool, and dark environment away from any reminders of day stresses. This does also mean not using your phone before going to bed – something we’ve all definitely been guilty of – as the light from the screen can disrupt the production of the hormone melatonin and disrupt the sleep cycle. If you’re finding that you just can’t get good enough sleep, it can be a good idea to plan a sleep schedule each night based around how much rest you think you can get. This can also be tailored to the injury rehabilitation process to ultimately get the most out of sleep recovery. Essentially it’s about balance. Be kind, plan for the days you know you might have impacted sleep and try to avoid any rehabilitation exercises the next day.        How much sleep should I get? The key question here; how much sleep is the right amount to speed up muscle recovery? While it’s recommended that you should aim for at least 7 to 9 hours per night depending on age, the exact time, speed, and extent of muscle repair varies greatly from person to person. For a more definitive answer, we’d recommend contacting your local physiotherapist – or general practitioner – who can give advice more tailored towards your specific injury and rehabilitation requirements.    At the end of all this, we hope this this will help with any current or future muscle injuries you may have. While it might seem strange, the recovery stage of a workout is arguably as important as an individual’s diet and perhaps even the exercise itself. To this end, it can be a good idea to think of the recovery as another stage of the workout process and sleep as the unexplored treasure that will help you smash the next PB.   Interested to learn more about workout recovery? Wondering on the best ways to fuel your next workout? Perhaps you have some amazing and inspired ideas to share? Don’t hesitate to message us over on our Instagram @liveinnermost. Read more
The 4 Steps To Take Immediately After A Workout To Aid Recovery