Arguably the best thing you can do for your feet.
“& I would walk 500 miles,” No really…I would! With compression socks on, that is.
Warning: putting compression socks on for the first time is not going to suddenly make you feel like a superhero who can do anything. In fact, they may even hurt. But think of them like a pair of shoes that need to get broken in.
I don’t know about you, but I’ve always wondered what the deal is with copper shirts and socks for back and foot pain. I asked myself, is copper really all it’s cracked up to be?
Copper or compression: Do neither/either/both produce results?
Copper
Come to find out, the point of ‘copper’ in a brand like CopperFit, is to create clothing that is:
- Odor-reducing.
- Copper in fabric reduces bacteria, which means less smelly clothes from sweating.
- Heat-insulating.
- Copper is used by NASA due to its lightweight, yet warming properties. Copper-infused socks were a key provision used to keep Chilean miners warm who were trapped more than 2000 feet below ground for 70 days. The warmth to our bodies in copper also increases blood flow, relieving joints of arthritis and inflammation.
- Age-reducing.
- Copper has been found in studies to promote collagen and elastin in the skin. Strong collagen enhances bone healing and health, while helping with skin cell rejuvenation. Elastin plays a major role in the youthfulness of skin, providing elasticity, stretch, and recoil to our skin’s tissues.
Compression
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Looking at the research of compression brought results that coincide with my own experience. Clear outward improvements of speed, strength, oxygen uptake, and heart rate are no different wearing compression socks or not. However, where they help is the endurance aspect:
- Increased time to exhaustion.
- It takes longer for your muscles to feel tired.
- Improved running economy.
- A lofty term for how efficient (easily) you are able to perform your exercise.
- Decrease perceived exertion.
- You don’t feel like your body is working as hard (even when you are).
- Improved muscle strength immediately after running.
- If doing a test of your leg muscle power after an intense exercise wearing compression, you can actually give more effort and lift heavier than without compression.
- Less muscle damage and inflammation.
- Compression acts as a preventative measure from hurting and causing swelling in your joints.
Copper/Compression Conclusions
I’ll be honest, copper has some strengths I was unaware of, and maybe you were too! My perspective on all things copper has completely shifted, mainly because each of these three benefits are well-researched! I can appreciate when there is backup to support strong conclusions like these.
Compared to my experience, compression studies make plenty of sense. I haven’t had as many issues with shin splints, but I know plenty of people benefit from wearing knee high compressions. I would highly advise using either compression socks or copper + compression socks if you’re ever on your feet for long periods or want to avoid joint pain and inflammation (say, in an airplane where your ankles feel swollen).
To top it off, let’s nourish our feet (+ inadvertently the rest of our bodies) together!
1 Comment
Love Dowellife brand compression ankle supports that do not restrict my toes, and they give my step a new bounce!