Effective recovery from training and competition is an important part of an athlete’s plan, allowing them to complete and back up from high intensity workouts or races, and consolidate training gains, leading to overall improved performance.
Compression has been widely used as a recovery technique, previously through the use of garments such as skins or socks, however growing in popularity are pneumatic compression devices (PCD) such as Normatec or Rapid Reboot. PCDs are inflatable garments worn over the legs that sequentially inflate, hold, and deflate from distal to proximal to squeeze the legs and promote blood flow from the feet upwards.
There are several ways in which this compression can enhance recovery. The sequential application of compression up the legs mimics the mechanical action of the “muscle pump” which removes waste from the legs to the lymphatic system where it is subsequently removed1. The increased systemic blood flow induced by the compression garments accentuates muscle blood flow during the post-exercise recovery period to help circulate and remove waste products and metabolites that build up following exercise. Additionally, the squeezing of the veins aids with venous blood return to the heart.
Effective recovery from training and competition is an important part of an athlete’s plan, allowing them to complete and back up from high intensity workouts or races, and consolidate training gains, leading to overall improved performance.
Compression has been widely used as a recovery technique, previously through the use of garments such as skins or socks, however growing in popularity are pneumatic compression devices (PCD) such as Normatec or Rapid Reboot. PCDs are inflatable garments worn over the legs that sequentially inflate, hold, and deflate from distal to proximal to squeeze the legs and promote blood flow from the feet upwards.
There are several ways in which this compression can enhance recovery. The sequential application of compression up the legs mimics the mechanical action of the “muscle pump” which removes waste from the legs to the lymphatic system where it is subsequently removed1. The increased systemic blood flow induced by the compression garments accentuates muscle blood flow during the post-exercise recovery period to help circulate and remove waste products and metabolites that build up following exercise. Additionally, the squeezing of the veins aids with venous blood return to the heart.
The use of compression as a recovery aid has been shown to prevent excessive muscle swelling and enhance blood flow, leading to greater range of motion (ROM) about affected joints, less loss of muscle strength or power, and reduced pain2. A number of studies have shown that indicators or muscle function or fatigue (e.g. countermovement jump performance) and perceived soreness immediately after, and in the days following, fatiguing exercise benefit from the use of compression as a recovery tool3.
For example, in a randomised controlled trial comparing the effects of PCDs to compression garments on delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) over a five-day recovery period, athletes using PCDs experienced significantly lower muscle swelling, less reduction in ROM, and lower perception of pain4. Not only did these athletes feel less severe DOMS, but their pain levels returned to baseline faster than the group wearing compression garments.
As anyone who has experienced DOMS knows, this can have a significant impact on your ability to train or race for the next two to three days, so if this can be decreased then this means you will be able to back up and perform sooner and at the same intensity. Using PCDs after high intensity exercise has also been shown to be more effective than either active or passive recovery for reducing blood lactate concentration5,6 which is beneficial for subsequent performance with muscles able to fire more effectively due to less post-exercise muscle pain, swelling, and stiffness.
It is recommended that recovery boots should be used post-exercise for twenty to thirty minutes, particularly after your hardest, most fatiguing sessions. Three to four times a week, or after every two or so workouts, should be the most beneficial for aiding recovery.
Louise Marvin
Sports Scientist / Triathlon Coach
louise@onebody.com.au
- Zuj, K.A., Prince, C.N., Hughson, R.L., & Peterson, S.D. (2018) Enhanced muscle blood flow with intermittent pneumatic compression of the lower leg during plantar flexion exercise and recovery. Journal of Applied Physiology, 124(2): 302-311. https://doi.org/10.1152/japplphysiol.00784.2017
- Hill, J., Howatson, G., van Someren, K., Leeder, J., & Pedlar, C. (2014) Compression garments and recovery from exercise-induced muscle damage: a meta-analysis. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 48: 1340-1346
- Mota, G.R., Simim, M.A.M., Dos Santos, I.A., Sasaki, J.E., & Marocolo, M. (2020) Effects of wearing compression stockings on exercise performance and associated indicators: A systematic review. Open Access Journal of Sports Medicine, 11: 29-42. https://doi.org/10.2147/OAJSM.S198809
- Winke, M., & Williamson, S. (2018) Comparison of a pneumatic compression device to a compression garment during recovery from DOMS. International Journal of Exercise Science, 11(3): 375-383
- Hanson, E., Stetter, K., Li, R., & Thomas, A. (2013) An intermittent pneumatic compression device reduces blood lactate concentrations more effectively than passive recovery after Wingate testing. Journal of Athletic Enhancement, 2:3. https://doi.org/10.4172/2324-9080.1000115
- Martin, J.S., Friedenreich, Z.D., Borges, A.R., & Roberts, M.D. (2015) Acute effects of peristaltic pneumatic compression on repeated anaerobic exercise performance and blood lactate clearance. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 10: 2900-2906
