SuppVersity - Nutrition and Exercise Science for Everyone

Is it all about pressure? Compression stocking and BFR cuffs revisited. You will remember that I've covered the use of #BFR, i.e. blood-flow restriction in several articles over the past years. The number of posts on #compression stockings, on the other hand, is limited with only one dealing with the acute anti-heavy-leg effect of 'oma's socks' in the evening. Today's special will address both, the latest research in everything tight... ;-) Ok, before the ambiguity gets out of hand, let's check out some of the latest studies: BFR and Hypoxia Training  are different from training w/ compression garments BFR, Cortisol & GH Responses BFR - Where are we now? BFR as Add-On to Classic Lifts BFR for Injured Athletes BFR B4 Workouts = WIN!? BFR + Cardio = GainZ? In healthy young women, compression stockings may have acute beneficial effects on lower leg swelling and muscle stiffness ( Sugahara 2018 ): While previous trials have often ...

Is it funny, stupid or tragic that compression garments are advertised most heavily to endurance athletes who benefit the least, while resistance trainees are supplied with useless lifting shoes and tons of questionable supplements, yet not educated on the significant recovery benefits of wearing compression garments? Maybe it's simply because we don't fully understand how they work yet. No, I don't use them myself, but after reading the latest (and most comprehensive) meta-analysis of the use of compression garments and its effects on recovery in sports I start to believe that I may be - just like you - missing out... Let's  not move too fast, though, as the authors, Freddy Brown, Conor Gissane, Glyn Howatson, Ken van Someren, Charles Pedlar, and Jessica Hill point out, the "literature is clouded by conflicting results and uncertainty over the optimal conditions of use" (Brown 2017) - and I would add: it's full of potential bias due to sponsorships. ...