If you have taken part in bike races, triathlons or have attended one of these events, you’ve probably come across that one guy with tights on. Probably seen him wearing it in the parking lot, before and after the race. Now that is what you call compression wear. For years now, doctors have relied on compression socks and stocking to improve blood circulation for bed-bound and diabetic patients. Now, decades later, compression wear had made a comeback into the world of sports – most athletes can be seen sporting compression wear before, during, and after races.
IN A TIGHT SPOT
So what’s all the fuss about compression wear? What exactly is it and why do you need it? The way compression wear works is fairly simple, Increased pressure on muscles accelerates the flow of blood to the heart. Blood is pumped to the extremities of your body via high-pressure arteries, but it trickles back to the heart through low-pressure veins located just beneath the skin. The added pressure from compression wear speeds up the blood flow in those veins, therefore increasing muscle oxygenation. This got athletes thinking – if it can increase blood flow for patients with circulation related problems, wouldn’t it benefit them too? Soon you could see racers and triathletes alike sporting the tight spandex garments before and after races. Apart from these benefits, compression wear for cyclists is said to improve performance in a bunch of other ways – runners are especially said to be benefiting from compression wear as running is an eccentric motion; triathletes and long-distance runners are the most benefitted by compression wear.
CEP SPORTS
In India, CEP Compression is one of the biggest and most recognized compression wear brands. The brand has been producing high-quality medical compression products since 1951 and has a lot of experience in the field.
TOP 5 BENEFITS OF CEP COMPRESSION WEAR
1. REDUCED MUSCLE FATIGUE
2. STRAIN PREVENTION
3. A LOWER RISK OF MUSCLE SORENESS
4. INCREASED POWER & BETTER JUMPING ABILITY
5. BETTER RECOVERY AFTER STRENUOUS EXERCISE
UNDERSTANDING COMPRESSION
If you’re new to compression socks and garments, you probably have some questions. You’ll be interested to know that CEP apparel comes in different levels of compression. Levels of compression in clothing are measured by millimeters of mercury (mmHg). You may try either firm or extra-firm compression clothing to keep your legs healthy and prevent leg problems, especially if you stand for long periods of time. Compression socks and stockings prevent blood from pooling in your leg veins, which can cause swelling.
One of the major benefits of compression wear is post-activity recovery. Studies have shown that compression apparel reduces muscle pain and inflammation in addition to improving endurance and performance.
Compression clothing uses a graduated tightness that is more snug around the foot and ankle and then becomes gradually less tight in the direction of your core. This graduated compression helps your body more quickly move the depleted blood back to the heart and prevents lactic acid from building up in your extremities.
CEP currently has the largest variety of products in India. You can choose from all kinds of compression clothing ranging from compression shorts all the way to compression tops and sleeves. They’ve got you covered head to toe.
Whether you’re into running, cycling or a multitude of different sporting activities, you can still invest in some high-quality CEP compression clothing. Triathletes, runners, cyclists, hikers, golfers, and even swimmers. Everyone’s using compression wear because it works!
WHAT I LOVE ABOUT CYCLING
I’m an avid mountain biker and I like riding fast and flowy singletrack. As I keep riding, I continuously work on honing my riding skills. I like to ride whenever possible, especially with friends. I also like to influence folk into getting to ride more often.
Working on bicycles has also been a keen interest of mine for quite some time.
DISCIPLINE: Mountain biking and Road biking
CURRENT BIKE: Merida One Twenty 9.600 & Specialized Allez Elite DSW
DREAM BIKE: Santa Cruz 5010
