How Compression Socks Affect Performance and Recovery in Female Runners: Experiences of 19 Athletes

Understanding how compression affects physical performance and psychological responses provides valuable insights for recreational female athletes and fitness enthusiasts. A targeted study examining women's responses to 5-kilometer running while wearing compression reveals important findings about the relationship between benefits and perceived exercise experiences.

Focused Research on Recreational Female Athletes

Researchers designed this study specifically to examine compression effects in recreational female athletes, a population representing numerous compression sock users.

Participants:

• 19 women
• Average age: 20 years
• Average weight: 61.4 kg
• Body fat: 22.6%
• Recreationally fit enthusiasts, not elite athletes

Protocol:

• Each participant completed two separate 5-km runs with one-week separation
• One run with compression socks
• One run with regular socks
• Measured: 5K time, heart rate, perceived exertion, pain threshold, muscle soreness, perceived recovery

Performance and Physiology Findings

The study revealed surprising results:

✗ No differences in 5K time: Average completion times remained identical regardless of sock choice

✗ Unchanged heart response: Heart rate remained unchanged with or without compression socks

These findings align with other research indicating compression socks for running typically don't improve actual performance metrics during moderate-intensity exercise. The body's natural cardiovascular and muscular responses during running seem sufficient for optimal performance at recreational intensity levels.

However, lack of performance improvement doesn't necessarily diminish compression value for other applications.

Psychological and Perceptual Responses

While compression didn't improve objective performance measures, it affected participants' subjective experiences in interesting ways:

⚠️ HIGHER perceived exertion: Women wearing compression socks reported significantly higher perceived exertion levels – they felt like they were working harder during equal exercise intensity

✓ LESS muscle soreness: Paradoxically, despite feeling like harder work, participants reported less muscle soreness in lower limbs when wearing compression compared to regular socks

This combination indicates medical compression socks can affect how exercise feels during and after activity, even when actual physiological responses remain unchanged.

Lower Limb Comfort and Recovery

The study found compression socks significantly reduce perceived muscle soreness in lower limbs. This pattern suggests compression benefits may be distributed throughout the entire lower leg rather than concentrated in specific muscle groups.

Practical benefits: ✓ Improved comfort during daily activities after exercise ✓ Potentially supports more consistent exercise habits ✓ For recreational female athletes exercising multiple times weekly, reduced post-exercise discomfort can contribute to better adherence to fitness routines

Implications for Different User Groups

Findings have particular relevance for recreational female athletes and fitness enthusiasts:

For women engaging in regular running, walking, or fitness activities:

• Compression socks may be most valuable for post-exercise comfort and perceived recovery
• Not for performance enhancement during exercise

For use during pregnancy: Compression socks for pregnancy may follow different patterns, as pregnancy creates unique physiological conditions where circulation support becomes more important for comfort and health.

Psychological Benefits and Exercise Adherence

The psychological aspects of compression use shouldn't be underestimated, especially for recreational exercisers:

✓ If compression socks help women feel more comfortable after exercise ✓ If they support their perception of recovery ✓ These benefits can contribute to more consistent exercise participation

For people struggling with exercise motivation or post-workout discomfort, subjective improvements provided by compression can support better long-term fitness habits.

Daily Life and Applications Outside Exercise

Research confirms compression benefits may be most evident in contexts outside exercise:

✓ For women spending long hours sitting at work ✓ For travel ✓ For addressing leg fatigue from daily activities

Compression socks for flying and workplace use may provide more noticeable benefits than exercise applications.

Understanding that primary compression advantages are in comfort, perceived recovery, and circulation support during sedentary periods helps users optimize their compression strategy.

Setting Realistic Expectations

This research helps establish realistic expectations for compression use among recreational female athletes:

✗ Does NOT improve: Running performance or physiological responses

✓ CAN improve: Subjective recovery experiences and reduce perceived muscle soreness

These benefits, while not performance-enhancing in a measurable sense, can still be valuable for recreational exercisers who prioritize comfort, recovery, and overall exercise experience.

Who are compression socks most suitable for:

• Women with long sitting workdays
• Women who travel frequently
• Older women or those with circulation challenges
• Recreational female athletes who value post-exercise comfort

About the Research:

This research was conducted by Treseler, Bixby, and Nepocatych, who examined how below-knee compression socks affect physiological responses and psychological perceptions during and after 5-kilometer running performance in nineteen recreationally active women.