Compression sleeves: Do they actually help?

How to use them, what to expect, and what the research says

If your calves feel battered after reps on the track, long runs, five-a-side, or a day on your feet, you’ve probably looked at compression sleeves and wondered, “Are these just fancy socks?” Short answer: they’re by no means a magic fix, but they can be useful when you use them the right way.

Below, we break down what compression sleeves claim to do, what the research shows, how to size and use them, and whether they’re worth your money if you’re training around work and life.

What are compression sleeves?

They’re elastic garments (calf, quad, arm, or full socks/tights) that apply graduated pressure, usually a bit tighter lower on the limb to promote venous return to the heart. In theory, that means less swelling, less muscle oscillation (wobble) with each foot strike, and potentially less soreness after hard sessions (MacRae et al., 2011).

Claimed benefits vs. reality

1) Performance during exercise

• The hype: Better oxygen delivery and running economy → faster times.

• The data: Most studies show little to no direct performance boost for time-trial or time-to-exhaustion outcomes. A few find tiny benefits (often within the noise) or sport-specific wins, but the average effect is small or trivial (MacRae et al., 2011; Born, Sperlich, & Holmberg, 2013; Hill et al., 2014).

• What you might feel: Some athletes report legs feel “snappier” or more supported, useful subjectively, even if the stopwatch doesn’t move much (Born et al., 2013).

2) Recovery after exercise

• The hype: Less DOMS, faster bounce-back, better strength recovery.

• The data: This is where compression sleeves do better. Meta-analyses and RCTs generally show moderate reductions in perceived muscle soreness and small improvements in strength/power recovery within 24-72 hours after hard sessions (Hill et al., 2014; Engel, Holmberg, & Sperlich, 2016; Jakeman, Byrne, & Eston, 2010; Duffield, Cannon, & King, 2010).

• Mechanisms: Likely less swelling, better venous/lymphatic return, and reduced muscle oscillation, rather than big changes to oxygen delivery (MacRae et al., 2011; Born et al., 2013).

3) Comfort, swelling, and travel

• The hype: Fresher legs on long workdays or flights.

• The data: Compression is consistently good at reducing lower-leg swelling and can improve comfort on long days or long-haul travel (MacRae et al., 2011). For athletes flying to events, compression socks/stockings are widely used to manage edema; clinical evidence supports stockings for swelling and travel comfort, even though that’s outside strict “performance” (MacRae et al., 2011).

4) Injury risk

• The hype: Fewer strains or shin splints.

• The data: There isn’t strong causal evidence that sleeves prevent injuries. However, by reducing muscle oscillation and perceived soreness, they may help you feel better session-to-session (Born et al., 2013; Hill et al., 2014). That’s helpful, but it’s not the same as proven injury prevention.

  
  

How to Use Them

During training

• When: Races, long runs, long tempo, heavy jump/change-of-direction sessions, or when your calves feel beat-up.

• Goal: Comfort and support, not guaranteed speed. If they help you feel stable on fatigued legs, wear them.

After training

• When: Straight after hard sessions or later that day.

• How long: Common research windows are 2–8 hours post-session. If you’re new, try 60-120 minutes and see how you feel next morning (Hill et al., 2014; Engel et al., 2016).

On travel/long days

• When: Work shifts on your feet, long car rides, or flights.

• Goal: Reduce lower-leg swelling and keep legs feeling fresher on arrival (MacRae et al., 2011).

  
  

Worthwhile?

• If you want a performance boost: Don’t expect miracles. Any gains are likely small or non-existent for most (MacRae et al., 2011; Hill et al., 2014).

• If you want better recovery: Sleeves are most useful here, less soreness and slightly faster recovery of strength/power are realistic (Hill et al., 2014; Engel et al., 2016; Jakeman et al., 2010).

• If your schedule is tight: When you’re training around work and life, anything that helps you feel fresher is valuable. If sleeves help your legs feel less heavy so you can show up for the next session, they’re a good buy.

  

When to Utilise

• Key sessions: Wear sleeves during ‘big’ sessions like gamedays, long runs, or hard intervals for 1 to 3 hours.

• Back-to-back training days: Keep them on post-session and again the next morning for an hour while you commute or work.

• Race week: Use them on the flight or long drive; consider post-race for 2 to 4 hours to reduce next-day soreness.

• Cue to skip: If they feel numb/tingly or leave deep marks that don’t fade, they may be too tight or the wrong size, which will restrict blood flow.

  
  

Bottom line 

Compression sleeves won’t turn you into a PB machine, but they can make your legs feel better and help you recover a bit faster, especially when life is busy and every % of freshness counts.

Think of them as supportive kit for comfort and recovery, not a substitute for the main pillars of recovery like sleep, refuelling and rest days.

References (APA)

1. Ali, A., Caine, M. P., & Snow, B. G. (2007). Graduated compression stockings: Physiological and perceptual responses during and after running in men. Journal of Sports Sciences, 25(4), 413–419. https://doi.org/10.1080/02640410600718376

2. Born, D. P., Sperlich, B., & Holmberg, H.-C. (2013). Bringing light into the dark: Effects of compression clothing on performance and recovery. International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance, 8(1), 4–18. https://doi.org/10.1123/ijspp.8.1.4

3. Duffield, R., Cannon, J., & King, M. (2010). The effects of compression garments on recovery of muscle performance and delayed-onset muscle soreness following team-sport activity. Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport, 13(1), 136–140. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsams.2008.09.007

4. Engel, F. A., Holmberg, H.-C., & Sperlich, B. (2016). Is there evidence that compression garments reduce the symptoms of exercise-induced muscle damage? A systematic review with meta-analysis. Frontiers in Physiology, 7, 99. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2016.00183

5. Hill, J. A., Howatson, G., van Someren, K. A., Leeder, J., & Pedlar, C. (2014). Compression garments and recovery from exercise-induced muscle damage: A meta-analysis. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 48(18), 1340–1346. https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2013-092456

6. Jakeman, J. R., Byrne, C., & Eston, R. G. (2010). Efficacy of lower-limb compression garments in enhancing recovery after strenuous exercise. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 24(6), 1535–1542. https://doi.org/10.1519/JSC.0b013e3181dc44c8

7. MacRae, B. A., Cotter, J. D., & Laing, R. M. (2011). Compression garments and exercise: Garment considerations, physiology and performance. Sports Medicine, 41(10), 815–843. https://doi.org/10.2165/11591420-000000000-00000