Those Leggings You're Wearing On Your Run Don't Improve Your Stamina
Contrary to popular belief for many in the running world, compression shorts do not reduce muscle fatigue when compared to running without them.
Compression leggings became very popular in the running world when the theory that leggings reduced muscle vibration was introduced. The idea was that the reduced muscle vibration would in turn reduce energy expenditure and muscle fatigue, allowing runners to last longer and perform better in races. Researchers at Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center took it upon themselves to test this theory, and recruited a group of runners who ran on a treadmill for 30 minutes at 80% capacity on two different days.
The researchers utilized motion capture technology along with sensor plates on the treadmill to measure impact force over the period of the run. The researchers also measured the participants' leg strength and jump height before and after each run of the test. The research team found, after both tests were finished and the results were analyzed, that compression leggings had no beneficial effect on a runners stamina. The study did confirm that leggings reduced vibration within the leg muscles, but that all runners impact force remained constant in both tests and that the leggings did not reduce strain on runners' joints at the end of a run due to fatigue. Despite the lack of evidence for increased stamina when wearing leggings, that doesn't mean you shouldn't wear them if you feel more comfortable in them than if you were to not wear them. Remember, comfort is the key when working out!
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