The effects of upper body compression garments A new study soon to be published.
In a study soon to be published in the European journal of Sports Science, the effects of upper body compression garments (UBCG) on performance and physiological factors during flat-water kayaking were studied. Lower body compression has been studied both for performance and recovery but UBCG have been studied less so. Also very few of those studies have concentrated on upper body dominant sports. This study used elite kayakers wearing UBCG’s and found that there was no effect of UBCG’s compared with the control conditions during simulated flat-water kayaking. While this study only used seven elite kayakers, there were no significant benefits to wearing UBCG’s while paddling.
So what does this mean for your paddling? Well, not much, as this was a small study. If you are wearing upper body compression garments, I see no reason to stop as there was no detriment to performance. If they feel comfortable and you are used to wearing them, then continue to do so. If you don’t wear UBCG’s, you may rethink spending the money on such clothes, particularly if you’re looking to use your spending power to increase your performance. I would however like to see some studies done on wearing UBCG’s for recovery, in particular post kayaking events, if only to be able to give better recommendations to my athletes.
Whatever you decide, inform yourself and discuss it with a coach or an experienced paddler.
In a study soon to be published in the European journal of Sports Science, the effects of upper body compression garments (UBCG) on performance and physiological factors during flat-water kayaking were studied. Lower body compression has been studied both for performance and recovery but UBCG have been studied less so. Also very few of those studies have concentrated on upper body dominant sports. This study used elite kayakers wearing UBCG’s and found that there was no effect of UBCG’s compared with the control conditions during simulated flat-water kayaking. While this study only used seven elite kayakers, there were no significant benefits to wearing UBCG’s while paddling.
So what does this mean for your paddling? Well, not much, as this was a small study. If you are wearing upper body compression garments, I see no reason to stop as there was no detriment to performance. If they feel comfortable and you are used to wearing them, then continue to do so. If you don’t wear UBCG’s, you may rethink spending the money on such clothes, particularly if you’re looking to use your spending power to increase your performance. I would however like to see some studies done on wearing UBCG’s for recovery, in particular post kayaking events, if only to be able to give better recommendations to my athletes.
Whatever you decide, inform yourself and discuss it with a coach or an experienced paddler.