Compression garments
Compression clothing does not make you run faster, and the most careful recent meta-analysis found it does not speed strength recovery either. Older pooled data and lower perceived soreness suggest a small benefit, mostly in how you feel. Wear it if you like it, but it is not a performance or recovery tool you need.
What the science says
- No faster strength recovery in RCTs Moderate evidence
A 2022 meta-analysis of 19 randomized trials with 350 participants (Négyesi et al.) found compression garments had no strength-sparing effect at any time point from immediately to beyond 96 hours after exercise.
- Older pooled data showed a small benefit Limited evidence
An earlier 2017 meta-analysis of 23 studies (Brown et al.) reported a small benefit (ES 0.38), largest for strength recovery after resistance exercise. The later meta-analysis restricted to randomized trials did not confirm it.
- No improvement in running performance Moderate evidence
A 2025 meta-analysis of 51 studies with 899 participants (Wang et al.) found no improvement in race time (SMD −0.07) or time to exhaustion when runners wore compression garments.
- May reduce perceived soreness Limited evidence
A 2018 meta-analysis of 99 recovery studies (Dupuy et al.) found compression garments among the methods that reduced muscle soreness and perceived fatigue, a perceptual effect rather than better performance.
How to apply it
Optional. If you wear them, do it for comfort after hard sessions or travel, and keep your recovery built on sleep, nutrition and load management.
Who should be careful
Remove garments that cause numbness, tingling, skin color change or pain. Medical compression for veins or lymphedema is a clinical prescription: get it from a physician, not from sports garments.
Frequently asked questions
Do compression garments help recovery?
Not for strength: a meta-analysis of 19 randomized trials found no strength-sparing effect at any time point. They may reduce perceived soreness.
Will compression make me run faster?
No. A meta-analysis of 51 studies found no improvement in race time or time to exhaustion.
Why do some people swear by them?
Older pooled data showed a small benefit, and they may lower perceived soreness and fatigue, so people often feel better wearing them.
Scientific references
- Can Compression Garments Reduce the Deleterious Effects of Physical Exercise on Muscle Strength? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses
- Compression Garments and Recovery from Exercise: A Meta-Analysis
- Do compression garments enhance running performance? An updated systematic review and meta-analysis
- An Evidence-Based Approach for Choosing Post-exercise Recovery Techniques to Reduce Markers of Muscle Damage, Soreness, Fatigue, and Inflammation: A Systematic Review With Meta-Analysis
More training methods
- Drop sets Moderate evidence
A drop set takes a set to failure, then immediately cuts the load and keeps going.
- Rest-pause sets (including myo-reps) Limited evidence
Rest-pause means taking a set close to failure, resting 15–30 seconds, then squeezing out a few more reps, repeated a few times.
- Supersets Moderate evidence
A superset pairs two exercises back to back with little or no rest.
- High-intensity interval training (HIIT) Strong evidence
HIIT alternates short hard efforts with recovery.
- Zone 2 training Limited evidence
Easy, steady cardio clearly improves fitness and health, but the popular claim that "Zone 2" is a special, optimal intensity for building mitochondria and burning fat is not supported.
- Fasted training (fasted cardio) Limited evidence
Training on an empty stomach burns more fat during the session, but that does not translate into more fat lost over weeks.