Originally Posted by
mtbikerinpa
It is said that compression aids blood flow when used during activity(and following). I have noted some improved feel from compressive shorts and knee covers, so compressive socks could be beneficial. They are used with diabetic patients for that purpose, but I would also note the effect diminishes without activity to work off of.
I am not so sure about this. The reason why compression stocking are used generally is because there is a problem with blood pooling in the veins at the bottom of the legs -- something caused by the fact that unlike like arteries, veins don't have valves in them to stop the backward flow of blood.
This problem is caused by inactivity of the calf muscles. In the normal course of exercise, including walking and running, the calf muscle is contracting and that action is assisting in moving the blood back up the veins to the heart -- ie, it is preventing the blood from pooling and then running the risk of clotting.
If you are walking, running or pedalling, the calf is doing some work (albeit, at different rates depending on the level of activity).
I believe that compression stockings also are used in rehab after medical procedures involving removal of material from the legs for heart bypass surgery and for burns. But the function is different from that discussed above.
The question of muscle support and warmth are two other issues that may have some value, hence the increased use of compression tights among elite athletes.
I am also interested in the idea that they might increase the removal of lactic acid in exercise. But for normal cycling, from my understanding, the transfer out of lactic acid in low to moderate exercise is in balance with its production by the exercising muscles anyway. And just about all lactic acid, even after anaerobic exercise, is flushed out within 15 minutes of the end of exercise.
It should be noted that not all compression stockings are the same, and in cases of DVT referred to a circulatory specialist, a prescription specifying different points of compression within the same stocking might be issued. Then that becomes a really tricky one for pharmacists/drug stores, because some just don't know about compression stocking prescriptions.
So, to the OP, it's up to you. You probably won't do any harm so long as the compression stocking isn't so tight as to reduce blood flow
to your lower leg. But you probably won't get much, if any, benefit from it, either.