The use of compression stockings during a marathon competition to reduce exercise-induced muscle damage: are they really useful?

Abstract

Study design: Case-control study; ecological study.

Objectives: To examine the efficacy of wearing compression stockings to prevent muscle damage and to maintain running performance during a marathon competition.

Background: Exercise-induced muscle damage has been identified as one of the main causes of the progressive decrease in running and muscular performance found during marathon races.

Methods: Thirty-four experienced runners were pair-matched for age, anthropometric data, and best race time in the marathon, and randomly assigned to a control group (n = 17) of runners who wore conventional socks or to a group of runners who wore foot-to-knee graduated compression stockings (n = 17). Before and after the race, a sample of venous blood was obtained, and jump height and leg muscle power were measured during a countermovement jump. Serum myoglobin and creatine kinase concentrations were determined as blood markers of muscle fiber damage.

Results: Total race time was not different between the control group and the compression stockings group (210 ± 23 and 214 ± 22 minutes, respectively; P = .58). Between the control group and the compression stockings group, postrace reductions in leg muscle power (-19.8% ± 17.7% versus -24.8% ± 18.4%, respectively; P = .37) and jump height (-25.3% ± 14.1% versus -32.5% . 20.4%, respectively; P = .27) were similar. At the end of the race, there were no differences between the control group and the compression stockings group in serum myoglobin (568 ± 347 ng·mL(-1) versus 573 ± 270 ng·mL(-1), respectively; P = .97) and creatine kinase concentration (390 ± 166 U·L(-1) versus 487 ± 227 U·L(-1), respectively; P = .16).

Conclusion: The use of compression stockings did not improve running pace and did not prevent exercise-induced muscle damage during the marathon. Wearing compression stockings during long-distance running events is an ineffective strategy to avoid the deleterious effects of muscle damage on running performance.

Level of evidence: Therapy, level 2b.

Keywords: compression stockings; marathon; muscle damage; myoglobin; performance.