Compression shorts are often seen worn by professional athletes who need to have explosive power for sprints and also sustained endurance. There are several excellent reasons for wearing compression shorts for training and competition to help improve your performance. Generally, athletes who need to keep their legs warm for explosive movements benefit from wearing compression shorts.
Keeps Muscles Warm
Wear compression shorts for sports such as biking, basketball, gymnastics, running, or soccer. Compression shorts are designed to literally "squash" the muscles so the muscle fibers are closer together, helping to keep them warmer, according to a study published in the "Journal of Sports Sciences." This is useful if you are sprinting on a track, going up a hill on a bike or on foot, or as you jump and shoot on a basketball court. The idea is to keep muscles warm that you use for explosive power, reducing the risk for injury.
Wear for Rehab
Compression shorts are also good if you are rehabilitating an injury and must keep that group of muscles warm. For example, if you have a groin pull or hamstring strain, these muscles are within the area covered when you wear compression shorts.
It would not be practical to wrap a groin pull in all cases for exercise, but compression shorts are useful in this regard. For a hamstring strain, which is common for runners, basketball players and other athletes who require explosive power from their legs, you could wrap a very large bandage around the hamstring but that could unravel. On average, it may take six weeks or longer to fully heal a hamstring strain, and wearing compression shorts can help keep the hamstrings safer by compressing them.
Might Reduce "Exercise Trauma"
Compression shorts are good for helping to reduce "perceived muscle soreness" and may contribute to physical recovery after training, according to a study published in the "British Journal of Sports Medicine." In their study with cricket players, researchers found that while compression garments did not improve players' throwing ability they could help reduce "exercise trauma" from the sport.
Supportive Athletic Garment
Compression shorts are especially good for male athletes because they support the male anatomy. In some cases, a very snug but still stretchable pair of compression shorts can be worn without an additional athletic supporter. For example, while playing ice hockey, players tend to wear athletic supporters because the risk for injury in the groin during play is common. For a road biker, this risk is not as present, and wearing compression shorts is appropriate.
References
- "The Journal of Strength Conditioning"; Influence of Moderate Prophylactic Compression on Sport Performance; T. Bernhardt, et al.; May 2005
- "Journal of Sports Sciences"; Evaluation of a Lower-body Compression Garment; B.K. Doan; August 2003
- "British Journal of Sports Medicine"; A Comparison of Compression Garments; R. Duffield, et al.; July 2007
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