Compression Socks (Page 2)

You can get one in each colour that way

I'm very much a skeptic when it comes to marketing claims. To be blunt,  I consider almost all marketing and advertising to be utter BS. My initial reaction to the claims made for compression socks was extreme doubt. I was, however, willing to try them. After having worn them for a number of long runs of 12 miles and longer, I have experienced what I believe to be a much shorter recovery time after and somewhat increased endurance on these runs.

My own personal experience has been that wearing my pair of SLS3 Compression Sport Sox on long runs is physically, but definitely not stylistically,  beneficial. But then again, given the other clothing we wear in public "dorky" is only a matter of degree. You can't wear lycra in public and not admit to being well along on that road.

Lactic acid does not accumulate in your muscles like people think.  It is removed all the time.  The only time you really notice it and it causes issues is when you are above your lactic threshold (the point at which the ability of the body to remove the lactic build up is eclipsed by the rate at which it is accumulating).

Any soreness in your muscles is caused by the millions of micro tears in your muscles, not by anything else (unless you are injured somehow).  Imagine thousands of little tiny razor cuts.  Anyone want to try to explain to me how compressing your muscles with tight clothing is going to help "repair" those things faster???  Your body heals things in certain ways, it is not always a good idea to mess with how it works.

But as I said, to each their own.  But just remember that guys like Dave Scott and Scott Molina and PNF all set blistering times in their day WITHOUT ever using anything like this (and have some of the fastest times on the books still to show for it).  There is no magical cure for what ails you and as others have referred to things like these in the past ....... they are some really well marketed snake oil.

It is your money, so feel free to spend it in whatever fashion you deam worthy.  In my opinion they are a total waste though.  Take it or leave it.

Comnpression clothing (tights, tops, socks) won't "repair" damage, that's true.  But they can PREVENT damage.  As the muscle fibers swell, that when the microtears within them occur.  But limiting the amount of space they can swell, tearing is limited as well, rsulting in less soreness at the end of the day. The more you feel like a sausage, the more the swelling is limited. The effects are probably most notable on lower limbs as the compression keeps fluids from building up.  (This is the same reason that heart patients are given compression stockings - to limit fluid build up in the legs that can later back up into the lungs when the patient is lying down)

And most of us will never have the genetic gifts of the "Scotts"; and there's a reason for the term "tri-geek".  Some things have proven themselves usefull over time (like aerobars) and others have not (anyone else remember the mirror that mounted on your headset so you could keep your head down and still keep an eye on the road?)

 I agree with this guy 100%... plus they make you look dorky. A cheaper version is to wear pantyhose like that marathon runner.