I'm sitting here writing this while wearing McDavid compression socks after a 12 mile run.
I’m obviously not a scientist or doctor but I am a runner who enjoys running very long distances. These are thoughts put into my own words, so they are simply the way I view how it works, not some scientific study I did in my kitchen. It’s real. It’s tangible. It’s a process.
I only support or otherwise talk about products that I truly believe help me perform at my potential while staying as comfortable and injury-free as possible.
During events the core benefits of McDavid compression products are the stabilization of muscles and increased circulation. Repetitive shaking or oscillation of muscles is reduced. With each stride the muscles contract/engage and then relax. Upon foot strike the leg suddenly stops and the muscle keeps moving with inertia then snaps back as it contracts. Repeating this several hundred (thousand) times over the course of a long run puts increased stress on the muscle itself and the connective tissues where the muscle attaches to the bone, resulting in micro tears and waste product in the muscle cells, which we feel as post activity soreness.
Reducing the unnecessary oscillation and vibration movement of the muscle enables it to work more efficiently and provides enhanced comfort and performance over longer periods of time.
The breakdown of running form is an unavoidable component of running long distances. Early in workouts or races the runner has all the energy, efficiency and strength that enables good form and a springy stride where all the main muscles and stabilizing muscles are working effortlessly in unison. Once fatigue sets in form falls apart, hips swing out, knees collapse and twist inward and ankles pronate at increasing angles. Reducing the micro tears and promoting circulation offsets the fatigue, enabling a more comfortable, natural stride for longer periods. Improving economy means better efficiency and using less energy.
Compression benefits don’t end when the run ends. Recovery begins. Regarding nutrition, it’s widely known that recovery must begin as soon as possible after a workout or race. Athletes benefit most by replacing carbohydrates, proteins, and electrolytes within 30 minutes after exertion ends.
This holds true for compression used in recovery as well. Immediately following exercise full length compression pants reduce muscle and joint swelling and increase circulation, which helps flush out waste products from muscle cells and facilitate the healing process. This in turn reduces soreness and speeds recovery, enabling a faster return to activity.
Next up: More detail on how compression is used and aids training AND recovery for me.
There is also evidence of increased economy (lower O2 use) due to proprioception. Simply being more aware of your legs increases the efficiency of their movement. There's no way to dispute the benefits.
ReplyDeletePS- Excellent post before about the cars. The guy that wrote the article is an awesome writer. I love his subtle humor and comparisons. I just traded my Dodge truck for a Honda Accord... I couldn't take the $65 dig at the pump every two weeks. At least it was a useful vehicle though. I could haul wood and rock which I did often. Some of the 'shit' on the road now that has little to no actual value, like the Hummer (isn't that a euphemism (right word?) for a blow job?) or Excursion. To me that is just conspicuous wealth which is disgusting. I read nearly that entire article that you linked to.
ReplyDeleteRemember at Leadville when we ran by that old truck for sale just after Fish Hatchery (inbound)? Right before we turned up Power Line. We both loved the old school truck. Of the few moments I remember that one stands out. I was kind of hurting and that was relief.
I think the truck AND the house and property made both of us wish we were sitting on the porch.
ReplyDeleteThe author of that piece sums up the folks who drive the mega-tundra suvs well as having "pure contempt for one's fellow man."
"Euphemism" is absolutely correct. Another euphemism is "misguided" in place of shallow, over-consuming, self-centered loser. Capitalism in all its shining glory.