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July 31, 2011 7:03 AM Subscribe
Aside from preventing chafing, what are the benefits of compression shorts for running? Are there drawbacks?
When I first got into running about 1-2 years ago, I bought compression shorts to help with chafing issues. They work great for that and I've been very pleased. There have been a few times where I've ended up running without them, and chafing issues aside, there was a different feel to running. Thighs/butt jiggled more, which seems pretty obvious, but for some reason that made it feel more difficult. I recently got a running skirt, and that takes care of the chafing issue, although the shorts under the skirt don't have the compression that my regular compression shorts do, so I still feel a bit of increased difficulty running in the skirt compared to the compression shorts.
Is one option better for me? Do compression shorts do something to make a run easier, which means that my body is doing less work and I'm sort of cheating? Or is the perceived difficulty just psychological?
When I first got into running about 1-2 years ago, I bought compression shorts to help with chafing issues. They work great for that and I've been very pleased. There have been a few times where I've ended up running without them, and chafing issues aside, there was a different feel to running. Thighs/butt jiggled more, which seems pretty obvious, but for some reason that made it feel more difficult. I recently got a running skirt, and that takes care of the chafing issue, although the shorts under the skirt don't have the compression that my regular compression shorts do, so I still feel a bit of increased difficulty running in the skirt compared to the compression shorts.
Is one option better for me? Do compression shorts do something to make a run easier, which means that my body is doing less work and I'm sort of cheating? Or is the perceived difficulty just psychological?
Hmm, my experience with compression shorts is that things jiggle less, and that makes running more comfortable. So this may just be a YMMV kind of question.
posted by cmgonzalez at 7:54 AM on July 31, 2011
posted by cmgonzalez at 7:54 AM on July 31, 2011
CM, that's what the OP said--without the compression shorts, things jiggled more.
posted by bluedaisy at 9:19 AM on July 31, 2011
posted by bluedaisy at 9:19 AM on July 31, 2011
I have used compression socks for triathlon.
AFAIK, compression shorts are supposed to aid in faster recovery, so that you can go out and train again hard, sooner than without the shorts.
You don't go any faster while wearing them, and they won't help you compete that day, but you will in theory compete better the next day, than you would have if you had not used them.
It seems like there is astudy or two that seems to confirm this.
posted by crawltopslow at 4:42 PM on July 31, 2011 [1 favorite]
AFAIK, compression shorts are supposed to aid in faster recovery, so that you can go out and train again hard, sooner than without the shorts.
You don't go any faster while wearing them, and they won't help you compete that day, but you will in theory compete better the next day, than you would have if you had not used them.
It seems like there is astudy or two that seems to confirm this.
posted by crawltopslow at 4:42 PM on July 31, 2011 [1 favorite]
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by quodlibet at 7:38 AM on July 31, 2011