Thigh compression sleeves increase blood flow, aiding recovery and ATP production.
Compression sleeves enhance physical performance by supporting limbs, making them a favorite among athletes for therapeutic purposes and sports enhancement (1). They help stabilize your movements, improve coordination, and boost endurance. Among the various types, knee sleeves are widely recognized and sought after. Our fact-checked guide on the best knee sleeves for 2024 offers valuable insights for those considering purchasing.
Thigh compression sleeves, specifically designed to fortify and protect your thighs, are indispensable for athletes engaged in high-impact sports or recovering from minor injuries like sprains. This article delves into the essence of thigh compression sleeves and outlines the many advantages they offer athletes.
What Are Thigh Compression Sleeves?
Thigh compression sleeves are tight elastic bands of fabric worn around the thighs. They provide support for the thighs and hamstrings. You put on the sleeves like a sock, only you take them up to your thighs.
Unlike socks, however, thigh compression sleeves come with a compression gradient. This gradient plays a key role in blood circulation. Thigh compression sleeves typically consist of nylon, polyester, and spandex to create a lightweight, stretchy cover.
Because compression sleeves have become popular, people often call anything that is skin-tight and stretchy compression sleeves. Note that they work by applying gentle pressure to your thighs. The right size will hug your legs, so don’t jump for a larger size yet. Learn more about how they work below.
How Do Thigh Compression Sleeves Work?
Thigh compression sleeves use a pressure gradient to improve circulation. They increase blood flow to your thighs, bringing fresh, oxygenated blood. This oxygenated blood breaks down glucose to form adenosine triphosphate (ATP), increasing the energy in your thigh muscles. They also offer a whole other host of benefits, which we’ll discuss in the subsection on benefits below.
Benefits of Using Thigh Compression Sleeves
Most of their benefits come from improving circulation. However, just having them on can also help with your mind-muscle connection. Below, you’ll find the benefits of wearing thigh compression sleeves outlined.
Better Performance
They bring fresh, oxygenated blood to the muscles of your thigh. This can help to increase the production of ATP, which increases the energy in those muscles. The higher your energy, the better your exercise performance and form.
Better Recovery
After quad or hamstring training, your thigh muscles can get tired and sore. The quicker oxygenated blood gets to these muscles, the better your recovery. They’ll help you do that. Also, in this study, soccer players wearing them had reduced occurrence of delayed onset muscle soreness, improving their recovery time (2).
Reduces Risk of Injury
They reduce the vibration in your thighs, which can help reduce the risk of injuries, like muscle damage, from overstretching or tearing during training. They also warm up your thigh, keeping the muscles, tendons, and ligaments there supple. This can improve your ability to stretch without tearing or overstretching.
Helps with Soft Tissue Injuries
Did you know that pressure like the one produced by compression sleeves has been used to treat burn injuries since 1970 (3)? However, for athletics, thigh compression sleeves can help with sprains and strains around the thighs.
Proprioception
The concept of proprioception is where the mind-muscle connection comes in. Wearing a thigh sleeve can make it easier to focus on your muscles during training. You can position your quads or hamstrings in the best way to target them during your routine. Proprioception could also help prevent injuries from poor form during training.
When to Wear Thigh Compression Sleeves
You can wear them when doing leg exercise routines. This is the point when your thighs need the flow of oxygenated blood and energy the most. You can also wear thigh compression sleeves after a workout to help you recover. A non-exercise-related time when you can wear these sleeves is during travel to prevent blood pooling in your feet.
What to Look for in a Thigh Compression Sleeve?
It’s always best to work with good brands that produce quality products when buying them. In this review, we tested some Iron Bull Knee Sleeves to see their quality. Here are some essential details you can look out for when buying thigh sleeves.
Premium 7mm knee sleeves, meticulously crafted for the discerning athlete who demands only the finest in support and quality.
Moisture Wicking
Go for ones with good moisture wicking. This means the sleeve should have fabric that removes moisture from your body while training. As a result, your temperature will remain natural and comfortable while you wear it.
Non-Slippage
A good product should be non-slippage. This means there should be technology that will keep it in place during your training. For some, this comes as a no-slip silicone gripper.
Comfort
It’s important that they’re comfortable. Go for a product that is breathable and lightweight. It also shouldn’t cause chafing while you train.
Non-Restrictive Support
While thigh compression sleeves work by producing pressure, they shouldn’t be restrictive. An excellent product will fit like a second skin while allowing a full range of motion, so you won’t face restrictions while using your legs.
Graduated Compression
Some thigh compression sleeves come with graduated compression technology, which is very useful. This means they apply the highest compression level towards the bottom, around your knees. The sleeves facilitate blood movement from your knees to the top of your thighs, which helps with circulation.
FAQs
How long should you wear a thigh compression sleeve?
People often ask this because they want to know if wearing thigh compression sleeves throughout the day is okay. The answer is yes; it is. It can benefit those on their feet all day, such as servers or teachers, as it can help with muscle soreness.
Can you sleep with a thigh compression sleeve?
Thigh compression sleeves won’t harm you if you wear them while sleeping. However, they might be uncomfortable for some people and prevent sleep. Also, since the creators designed them for daytime use, it’s probably best to wear them during the daytime.
Do thigh compression sleeves help you lose weight?
There’s no scientific evidence that thigh compression sleeves aid in weight loss. However, they could improve exercise performance and form, which can lead to weight loss when combined with proper dieting.
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References
- Xiong, Y., & Tao, X. (2018). Compression Garments for Medical Therapy and Sports. Polymers, 10(6), 663. https://doi.org/10.3390/polym10060663
- Valle, X., Til, L., Drobnic, F., Turmo, A., Montoro, J. B., Valero, O., & Artells, R. (2014). Compression garments to prevent delayed onset muscle soreness in soccer players. Muscles, ligaments and tendons journal, 3(4), 295–302.
- Staley, M. J., & Richard, R. L. (1997). Use of pressure to treat hypertrophic burn scars. Advances in wound care : the journal for prevention and healing, 10(3), 44–46.
