[annarischitelli94]

Hi, I get deep aching in my quads and calves/shins after long runs, hikes, and skiing. I don’t necessarily get swelling, but just deep muscle aches. I found that compression boots sometimes help the pain, but do they actually enhance recovery? I’ve also heard that using them can reverse some of the muscle adaptations that a training session creates.

Topic

[Anonymous]

Anonymous on September 15, 2020 at 10:46 am #45076

Regardless of how they affect adaptations, alleviating the pain will be more important.

From what I’ve read, part of how adaptations are initiated is the signaling that happens via inflammation. So if we accelerate recovery, then we lower inflammation and dampen the signal.

So it depends on the priority. Shortly before a race, or during a stage race, fitness cannot be gained, so recovery and being ready for the event is much more important. At that point, it makes sense to use ice baths, etc. Months before, when training is the priority, recovery tools may not be a great choice.

But again, pain is a worse choice. I would fix that first.

[annarischitelli94]

annarischitelli94 on October 8, 2020 at 10:51 am #45824

Awesome! Thank you so much, Scott. It’s a weird thing I get periodically – like aches and restless legs after long days on my feet. It’s not every day, so I’ll use them to manage the pain, but not after every session.

Thanks again! I really appreciate it.