Runners and triathlonists have been using compression products for a long time, a lot longer than athletes in other sports. Compression products have been used in running to avoid and to heal cramps, shin splints and other sports-related injuries, but also to recover faster during and after exercise. For runners, legs are an extremely important tool in order to enjoy running as much as possible. Taking care of your legs with the best gear available, such as shoes, tights, socks, is obvious. Good gear which improve the running experience is worth spending some extra money on.
Finnish compression brand ZeroPoint has manufactured compression products since 2011 and has used research and development in order to produce the best possible compression gear for different usages. Research and studies made by international universities and institutes have guaranteed best customer satisfaction. Cooperation with professional athletes from several different sports and recommendations from customers help the brand to develop products that meet and exceed customer expectation.
An example of a study made in 2011 by the Sport Institute of Finland for ZeroPoint Finland contained 22 high-level long-distance runners. Study monitored lactate, subjective feeling and EMG, and more specifically the activity of gluteal muscles. Runners were tested in 6 sets of 1000m intervals with 3 minute recovery time in between. The results showed no short time effect on the lactate level or heart rate, but a considerable difference was found with the EMG measurement. Running with graduated compression socks kept the gluteal muscle 5 percentage points more active than with placebos, which is a great result and a huge advantage for long-distance running. The effectiveness and correctly timed recruiting of the gluteus muscles are benchmarks of a good and effective running stride.
ZeroPoint athlete Daniel Rowland, a Zimbabwean long-distance trail runner, now located in Switzerland, has been using compression products for a long time and ZeroPoint products since fall of 2014. Rowland is a 31-year-old successful runner and a winner of many multi-stage trail races such as Atacama Crossing (Chile), Kalahari Extreme Marathon (South Africa) and Jungle Ultra in the Amazon. Most recently Rowland achieved two podium places in Europe in Humani’Trail and Trail Vallée de Joux (Switzerland).
Rowland has been using compression products for running and recovery and has clearly seen some benefits:
“I use compression clothing during all my training and racing, whether it's short ankle socks, full knee-high compression socks or compression sleeves for my calves. I believe that compression socks help with recovery after tough training sessions, and I use them to gain additional support during my longer training runs and during weeks of high-volume training. I recently discovered compression arm sleeves that I use for two purposes: keeping me warm during cold morning runs and providing support for my arm muscles during long alpine climbs when I'm using poles.”
“ZeroPoint is an excellent support for me and I rely heavily on their products. The special compression needling of the socks provides a product that fits me well and provides the best sensation out of the compression products I have used before,” Rowland adds.
ZeroPoint has carried out research studies amongst many different kinds of sports in addition to long-distance running. They have found compression products to be beneficial in sprint running, swimming, football, figure skating, ice-hockey etc., and also in travelling and working. One very important benefit found by a study carried out by FiDiPro among high-level junior football players in Asia was the positive effect using graduated compression socks had on the coordination and effectiveness of muscles. The study compared graduated compression socks, “compression” socks as a placebo, insoles and texted insoles.
This FiDiPro research found remarkable differences in coordination and muscle contraction. The use of graduated compression socks and normal insoles produced the most power and accuracy to the shots, with graduated compression socks and textured insoles coming second. The difference of the accuracy and power was more than 5 percentage points.
In the adult group the accuracy of an instep kick was best when wearing Zero Point compression socks and textured insoles. Wearing compression socks was found to improve skill performance as it enhances the quality of sensory feedback needed for accurate positioning. Compression socks can provide similar somatosensory feedback as bare feet.
Compression products have a high positive effect no matter what age group the user belongs to. Better coordination and muscle contraction is important for both the development of a young athlete and also for an older person whose coordination may have deteriorated with age.
The article has been produced in cooperation with ZeroPoint. Check out the compression products section in our webshop.
