Compression Wear: What Are The Benefits?

When it comes to health and fitness, we tend to spend our time focusing on what we do with our bodies and what we put in them. While of course these details are paramount, there’s something vital missing…what we put ON our bodies. There are more fitness clothing brands out there than ever but very few focus on the advanced technologies of compression wear and the importance of this clothing when it comes to enhancing our performance. To first understand the true benefits of compression wear, you need to know just what it is. 

What Is Compression Wear?

Sadly, the words ‘Compression Wear’ have become somewhat of an umbrella term for any clothing of an extremely tight variety. True compression wear however, including what you’ll find here at Vivendi Apparel, does actually have a purpose and, following many scientific studies, true benefits too.

Designed specifically to help increase lymphatic and blood flow throughout the limbs on which compression wear is worn, it’s said to help improve not only performance but the recovery time of the wearer too. Compression wear originally started out being a big asset within endurance circles, from runners to triathletes but it hasn’t taken long for numerous other athletes, including footballers, horse riders and even dancers to see the benefits of compression wear. Specific studies taking place have seen not only an increase in oxygen uptake but a reduction in blood lactate levels and improved warm ups, all when compression wear is worn during and post workout. 

It’s important to establish the difference between true compression wear and simply tight clothing. Compression wear can be graded in its tightness to help ease blood flow, it also features ‘wicking’ qualities and allows complete freedom of movement. 

The True Benefits Of Compression Wear?

The true benefits of compression wear aren’t just flaunted, they’re now widely accepted and taken advantage of by virtually every athlete across the globe. So what are the exact benefits you could expect to see with our compression wear?

Support

Thanks to the specially graded tightness within compression wear, you can enjoy much better support to your body and specific muscles while working out. Not only will compression wear help support your muscles but it will help stabilise them too, adding much needed pressure and taking some of the strain. The compression from the clothing will also help your blood circulation which will in turn support your recovery.

Breathability

Despite compression wear being tight, it allows for breathability. Compression clothing is made to allow for air circulation and help wearers stay cool during exercising, avoiding overheating.

Reduction In Muscle Soreness

Compression wear has been shown to help eliminate muscle soreness and fatigue much faster in wearers when compared to those not wearing it. What’s more, it helps those well after their workout too. With this benefit, wearers have found they’re able to perform not only better but for longer too. Add to this the fact that compression garments can help delay the onset of DOMS (delayed onset of muscle soreness) and it’s a no brainer.

Recovery

As mentioned above, compression wear can help your muscles well after your workout too and it does so by helping your muscles to rebuild themselves much faster by reducing fatigue and increasing much needed blood pressure, thus creating the optimal environment for the healing of broken/torn muscle tissues.

Flexibility

Unlike baggy or loose fitting clothing, compression wear will not hold you back whatever the movement you’re carrying out. Compression clothing can often be described as a second skin, allowing you to stretch, lift and extend with ease. You can also enjoy working out easily and safely without baggy garments hanging around while using heavy exercise equipment

Comfort

When you wear compression clothing, you’ll feel the pressure from the clothing on all muscles that your clothing comes into contact with. You’ll also notice that thanks to it’s tight design, you won’t experience clothing rolling or riding up; just complete comfort from the moment you wear your ‘second skin’.

Wicking

Thanks to the materials that compression wear is made from, such as polyester or nylon, you’ll find that you dry faster after you sweat. The clothes themselves don’t repel water however they are able to lift water upwards and away from the skin so the sweat is taken to the surface, keeping the wearer drier for longer as it allows for optimum evaporation. Compare this to how cotton reacts when it becomes saturated with sweat and there’s simply no comparison.

Performance

Thanks to the material and tightness of the garments, compression wear has been shown to aid in improving performance. From helping to improve an athlete’s jumping performance to helping keep muscle fatigue at bay for longer during an endurance cycle.

Better Exertion

A lower perceived exertion means that you need less effort to achieve the results you want. This is particularly popular with those who enjoy extreme sports or endurance sports. Recent studies have shown that endurance runners or even cyclists have a far superior perceived exertion, which means they find their training far more bearable.

Vivendi Apparel: True Performance Clothing

Here at Vivendi Apparel, our clothing was created to serve a purpose and our compression wear does exactly that. From people suffering spinal cord injuries to top level athletes; Vivendi Apparel Compression Wear from leggings to tops, are here to help you achieve peak performance.