If you’re an avid sports fan, you’ve probably seen some of your favorites rocking compression clothing during their training sessions. Compression clothing is popular among athletes for its various benefits, including its ability to enhance your performance and recovery. Learn how compression garments, when paired with proper hydration, can help you perform at your highest level.
What Is Compression Wear?
Compression wear refers to a form of clothing that is designed to apply pressure to certain parts of your body. For example, runners wear compression socks, bodybuilders wear compression shirts, and volleyball players often sport compression shorts. Each piece of clothing is designed to fit tightly and apply light pressure to the skin and the muscles underneath.
The Benefits of Compression Wear
While athletes report having different experiences with compression garments, some studies show that compression gear can have a variety of benefits, including:
Improved Blood Flow
Compression gear can promote increased circulation to help your fatigued muscles receive more oxygen and nutrients. While more research is needed, this could enhance your performance and even promote muscle recovery, leading to less soreness after a session. Increased blood flow can even speed up the process of rebuilding muscle tissue and healing muscles.
Muscle and Joint Support
Compression clothing fits snugly to provide extra support to your muscles and joints, which subsequently aids in recovery. It’s designed to provide extra stability to your joints while limiting swelling in the area and decreasing inflammation.
Reduced Inflammation
Thanks to their ability to provide extra support, compression garments help reduce excess muscle vibration and force impact during physical activity, which prevents inflammation and decreases strain on your body. This helps you support the muscle recovery process even while you’re exercising.
Reduced Muscle Soreness
Studies show that wearing compression clothing can help reduce muscle soreness and fatigue, both during and after your workouts. Compression garments can even help slow the onset of muscle soreness, allowing you to perform for longer periods.
Flexibility
One of the defining features of compression clothing is its flexible material. Instead of restricting your movements, compression clothing acts more like a second skin that moves with you, letting you feel unrestricted during workouts and stretching sessions.
Hydration and Compression Gear
While choosing the right clothing for exercise can help enhance your performance, staying hydrated is one of the best ways to support your body during physical activity. When you sweat during a workout session, you lose fluids that need to be replaced through hydration. In addition, if you start to get dehydrated, your mind and body can’t perform at their highest levels.
The Importance of Electrolytes
Electrolytes are electrically charged minerals that help balance the amount of water in your body. In addition, electrolytes support your muscles and help move important nutrients to your cells. An electrolyte imbalance can be caused by dehydration, which occurs when your body loses more water than it takes in. Because electrolytes are essential in helping your body move, an electrolyte imbalance can negatively impact your performance and recovery.
However, with Nuun, you don’t have to break a sweat while thinking about hydration, thanks to our functional hydration products which are made with a balance of optimized electrolytes. So, while you slip into your compression clothing to support your muscles and recovery, remember to prioritize electrolytes to do the same.
