In the marathon, many runners wear all kinds of compression leg covers or compression socks, and they feel very normal. The layman who doesn't know how to run may think that the runners are just for good looks and pretending to be cool. But as a marathon runner, you should know that you are definitely not pretending to be cool, because compression socks are not for viewing, and their sports protection function cannot be underestimated.
Sports protection of compression socks
In sports, the purpose of compression equipment design is to use gradient elasticity to improve athletic performance and accelerate recovery. Although there is still controversy over whether compression equipment can improve performance (for example, professional athletes and African athletes rarely wear compression equipment in marathons), there is also a considerable part of research showing that compression equipment does have a certain effect, especially Protection effect.
After prolonged exercise, the blood flow of the calf increases, and under the action of gravity, blood (and tissue fluid) stagnates in the lower limbs, causing blood circulation to slow down, muscle oxygen supply is insufficient, and metabolic waste (lactic acid, etc.) cannot be taken away through blood circulation. Increased muscle fatigue, making people feel the entire calf muscle swelled, sore, and heavy.
Compression socks can alleviate this problem. Compression socks are made of highly elastic woven fabrics, and elastic gradient fabrics are used to generate pressure, fully wrap and compress the calves, and thus play a role. More importantly, compression stockings have a gradient pressure that gradually decreases from bottom to top (the highest support pressure is established at the ankle and gradually decreases along the legs), forming a positive pressure from bottom to top to promote the return of venous blood , Reduce blood stasis and swelling of lower limbs.
Accelerated reflux, in fact, promotes the speed of the entire blood and lymph flow, so that "effective circulating blood volume increases", so that fresh blood, oxygen and energy substances can enter the muscles faster, and it also helps metabolic waste and fatigue products. Quickly drained from the muscles. Theoretically, this will help increase the rate of energy metabolism, allowing you to run easier and recover faster.
In addition, the compression leg cuffs can provide muscle support to a certain extent to reduce the tremor of the calf muscles during the whole running process, thereby reducing the damage and fatigue of the muscle microstructure to a certain extent (the microstructure damage is muscle fatigue and post-match 1 -An important cause of "delayed soreness" for 3 days).
In short, compression socks do have a protective effect in long-distance running (mainly races above half a horse). Even if the improvement of sports performance is not obvious, the effect of reducing fatigue and promoting recovery is certain. Experienced runners can find that if you wear compression socks on your legs all the time, you can significantly relieve fatigue. After the game, the decomposition rate of lactic acid was significantly improved, the muscle soreness of the second day after the game was significantly reduced, and the recovery speed was significantly accelerated.
On off-road tracks, compression socks are even more helpful. Because cross-country races are conducted in mountainous terrain, the terrain is complicated and there are many uncertain factors. Without wearing leg covers, it is very easy to be scratched by roadside weeds or treetops. At the same time, in cross-country running, the entire leg is in different changes in rapid and instant jumps. The compression leg sleeve can support, stabilize, and reduce shaking and damage.
In addition to horse racing, compression stockings can also prevent varicose veins
We already know that compression stockings can promote blood return to the lower limbs. The poor return of blood to the lower limbs causes not only a decrease in exercise capacity, but also the more common "varicose veins". Calf varicose veins is one of the most common diseases of limbs vascular disease, which has little to do with running or not running. The main reason is that the congenital blood vessel wall is weak or the same posture (sitting, standing) is rarely maintained for a long time. Changes, blood stasis in the lower extremities, excessive venous pressure, accumulated over time, destroying the venous valve and blood vessel wall, making the blood vessels swell and protrude like a "blowing balloon".
Among them, the venous valve is an important structure that plays a one-way restrictive role in blood return. If there is a valve defect, it will cause the blood to flow backwards, causing additional impact on the next-level venous valve, and the venous valve will be destroyed step by step, forming a vicious circle, further aggravating the impact of blood on the valve and the pressure on the venous wall, leading to Varicose veins.
The first impression of varicose veins is that it affects the beauty. There will be obvious, thicker blood vessels in the legs, which are earthworm-like or lumpy, especially women who dare not wear skirts and shorts in summer. In fact, there are even greater harms:
1. Edema:
Due to blood stasis in the lower limbs, there will be more obvious edema in the affected limbs, and the edema will increase after exercise or at night. Often accompanied by eczema, causing itchy skin.
2. Leg fatigue:
Long-term blood pooling in the legs and muscle ischemia and hypoxia can cause soreness and heaviness in the lower limbs, making it easier to feel fatigue, decreased exercise capacity, and pain and numbness in severe cases.
3. Ulcers:
Because of poor blood circulation, some tissues are necrotic due to ischemia and hypoxia. In mild cases, the skin becomes red, black, and hard, and in severe cases, ulcers form, commonly known as "old rotten legs."
It can be seen that the harm of varicose veins is not small. The most important thing is that varicose veins may not see prominent blood vessels in the past few years. Only some people will feel soreness, heaviness, and aggravate when standing or sitting for a long time. At this time, you must pay attention. You may already have venous valve insufficiency. If you don’t pay attention, it is easy to miss the best treatment opportunity. When the symptoms of venous valve insufficiency occur, it is a good way to use compression stockings to protect them, especially when standing or sitting for a long time.