7 Benefits of Compression Wear for Body Builders

Compression wear was built on a theory that wearing it would help with the circulation in the muscles which means that the blood will be able to flow through that part much easier and will be able to bring the much-needed oxygen and other nutrients to the muscles so that they are operating at an optimal level. Also because the circulation is better the lactic acid that causes muscle soreness and fatigue will be taken away much quicker resulting in lower muscle fatigue during your exercise as well as reduced muscle soreness afterward. 

In theory, this all sounds great and it would really help you during your workout. The best part is there are studies on this that prove compression wear has its benefits when it comes to bodybuilding and the most important ones are:

Benefit 1: They Help the Recovery Process

Compression wear was found helpful when you finish your workout in the recovery process. The studies done discovered that those who wore compression wear had a much better performance the following day during their workout as opposed to those who wore regular clothes. The most notable improvements were noticed in individuals who were doing strength training and for individuals that did cardio-based exercises the improvements in recovery were smaller but still better than wearing regular clothing. 

Benefit 2: Lower Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness

The delayed onset muscle soreness or DOMS is the painful feeling you experience after a hard workout and it usually appears after at least 8 hours from the workout but can be delayed for up to 2 days. Studies that were done, discovered that wearing compression wear help with this by being able to reduce the soreness for many types of exercises including HIIT (high-intensity interval training) workouts, strength training and a combination of strength and cardio training.

Benefit 3: Lowers Muscle Fatigue

People that use compression wear have reported that they don’t feel as much muscle fatigue in all phases of the workout (before, during and after). This actually means that wearing compression wear when going to the gym will allow you to have a longer workout with increased performance without feeling muscle fatigue or soreness. 

Benefit 4: Increased Oxygen Levels

We already mentioned before that the circulation is much better when you’re wearing compression wear but that was from the perspective of recovery after a workout. It’s also important to mention that increased oxygen levels in the muscles lead to an increase in your performance levels because muscles just like our entire body, require oxygen to be able to function properly during the workout. 

Benefit 5: Reduces the Risk of Strains

When it comes to bodybuilding, muscle strains happen quite often especially to those who are pushing themselves hard because they are preparing for a competition. Compression wear can prevent strained muscles because of the pressure it provides to the muscles making sure they stay in the proper position and not get strained. Wearing compression wear is highly recommended if you’re one of those people that strain their muscles often when working out with weights. 

Benefit 6: They are Comfortable

Compression wear is quite comfortable because it’s kind of like a second skin. It can keep you either cooler or warmer that can lead to an increase in your comfort during a workout. Compression wear is also able to prevent any chafing or friction while keeping your private parts in place. Not worrying about whether you’re hot, cold if you’ll get a rash and if everything is in place will allow you to focus on the important thing and that is your workout.

Benefit 7: Doesn’t Matter If You're a Professional or a Beginner

The benefits that compression wear offers aren’t just for professional bodybuilders. Studies found out that the benefits applied to both beginners and professionals equally so grabbing a few compression shirts and shorts is a great idea if you’re thinking about starting out your fitness journey. 

For bodybuilders, in particular, the biggest benefit of all is the aid in the recovery process after a training session. Strength training usually places a lot of stress on the muscles and the soreness is inevitable but wearing compression wear can drastically lower it especially if you keep it on for a longer period of time after the workout has ended.