Do these compression boots really help you get fit faster?

Do these compression boots really help you get fit faster? Compression boots promise deeper relaxation and faster recovery after hard training. This is how it should work.

It’s the lymphatic system’s job to pump all of that out. Compression takes our body’s natural response and speeds it up, helping “to force all of that out of the system,” says Longworth. In theory, this should help athletes get back out on the court or track faster with less pain and more mobility.

Ambitious athletes need to regenerate their muscles quickly between two training sessions or before a competition, and compression boots are designed to help with this. You can read how they work and who it is worth buying.

What are compression boots or recovery boots?

Compression boots, also called recovery boots, are basically boot-shaped, inflatable tubes that are pulled on from the feet to the thighs while sitting or lying down in a relaxed position. They consist of hollow air chambers that fill with air from the feet upwards when used, building up pressure (compressing) along the legs and thus triggering a massage effect.

Originally, the boots were used in medical and physiotherapy practices, for example for lymphedema patients. But now athletes have also discovered the regenerating effect of the air chamber massage after hard training sessions.

There are numerous models from different manufacturers on the market, with prices ranging from 200 to over 1000 euros. The construction principle is usually similar, but differences include the different interval settings or massage modes and accessories. 3 examples:

• The Starkfeldboots are available in 4 different leg lengths, are wirelessly battery-operated and can be easily transported in their carrying bag. The massage style and pressure can be individually controlled via a clear monitor. At around 250 euros, they are one of the most affordable models.
• The Normatec 3 model (999 euros), which is popular with physiotherapists, is wired, has 7 compression levels, is equipped with an intuitive user interface on the control monitor and can be connected to an app via Bluetooth.
• In the mid-price range you can find the Blackroll Compression Boots (around 500 euros) with a rechargeable battery. They offer 3 different sizes and 3 massage programs with 5 pressure levels to choose from. The massage boots are easy to transport in the bag provided.

What effect do recovery boots have on athletes?

Studies have shown that the boots increase blood flow to the legs by increasing venous drainage. The theory is that this should accelerate the regeneration of muscles strained during training: the increased blood flow should transport the cytokines that are produced during training and trigger inflammation more quickly and supply the muscles with more oxygen. This should reduce pain, muscle soreness and inflammatory processes triggered by training, and the body should be able to cope with stress again in a shorter time, meaning that the rest periods between individual training sessions can be shorter.

There are mixed studies on whether this really works. A study presented in the International Journal of Exercise Science found no effects on the inflammation levels of long-distance runners.

“However, there are also studies that have shown that athletes recover faster after use, develop less muscle soreness and are able to perform better more quickly,” says Jonas Schaerk , senior sports scientist at Hamburg’s UKE Athleticum (LINK). “However, the results also showed that the effects vary from individual to individual; some athletes were helped by the compression, others were not.”

Placebo effects cannot be ruled out either, says the sports scientist, because you definitely feel better after the air pressure massage, regardless of the actual effect, including the physiological side. And: “If used correctly, they can’t do any harm,” says Jonas Schaerk.

Who are recovery boots suitable for?

For everyone who puts a lot of strain on their legs when training, such as runners and cyclists who take their training seriously. “The boots don’t compensate for poor nutrition or too little sleep, they can only help to improve athletic performance,” says the training scientist.

The physiotherapists at the Hamburger Athleticum have had positive experiences with the use of compression boots during the regeneration phase and use them on the high-performance athletes they care for, such as HSV players.

“Using compression boots only really makes sense if you do leg-oriented training very frequently and then use them regularly,” says Schaerk. “If you only go jogging 2-3 times a week, the cost-benefit factor may not work out.”

According to sports expert Jonas Schaerk, alternating hot and cold showers at home or a sauna or cold chamber session at the gym have a similar regenerative effect after a hard training session as compression boots.

But admittedly, such measures are cheaper but also more complex. With the boots you will probably relax more quickly: you just lie comfortably on the sofa, watch TV and let the cuffs do the work.

Compression boots can help with regeneration after intensive exercise sessions that involve a lot of leg work. Competitive athletes, whose muscles need to regenerate as quickly as possible in order to be able to cope with stress again, can benefit the most from them – although perhaps more on a mental than a physical level. The research on this is not clear and indicates individual differences.