Can Your Socks Make You Faster?

Joe Friel's Blog: Can Your Socks Make You Faster?: "This was the Year of the Compression Sock at the Hawaii Ironman. In past years they were evident, but this year they seemed to be every where. The accompanying picture of these elastic stockings was taken in Kona on race day. The users say they improve their performance by…

* improving venous return to the heart,
* preventing muscles from moving unnecessarily as with excess vibration meaning less fatigue, and
* speeding recovery.

They also claim that wearing them on long flights as when going to Hawaii reduces leg and foot swelling due to fluids pooling in legs.

Elastic compression stockings have been around for a long time and used in the treatment of several leg conditions such as blood clotting in deep veins (“thrombosis”) and faulty valves in the veins with weakened vein walls (“varicose veins”). The research generally supports their use for such injuries, but do they improve athletic performance such as the claims made above?"

Online Interactive Tool for Support Hose - What Level of Compression is Right for You?

What Level of Compression is Right for You?

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Nurses track their mileage in Support Hose

Nurses track their mileage in Support Hose(HometownAnnapolis.com)

A few times a week, Irine Devroude slips on her sneakers and prepares for a long bout of stretching and cardio.
But Ms. Devroude isn't going to the gym, she's heading to her shift at Baltimore Washington Medical Center. The nurse spends her 12-hour shifts navigating the 46-bed unit on the second floor of the main building. The task requires daily treks to the pharmacy and lab, and assisting patients on other floors.
So it came as no surprise to the Crofton resident when she wore a pedometer and noticed that she walked about 4 to 6 miles each shift. On a particularly brutal day, she walked 9 miles, the most she's ever done.

"Unfortunately, our floors are concrete," Ms. Devroude said. "The first thing I've been doing from day one is wearing support hose. For that reason, it keeps my legs from being that much more tired."

Ms. Devroude and other nurses at BWMC wore pedometers for a 2-week period this year to see how much walking they get in. Many nurses logged 3 to 6 miles in an eight-hour shift. Nurses who work 12-hour shifts walk even more. Anne Arundel Medical Center did a similar effort with its nurses last year.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recommended walking as a good form of exercise, along with common chores such as gardening and washing cars.

For a month in 2003, researchers surveyed the walking habits of nearly 150 nurses working 12-hour shifts. It found that the nurses walked 4 to 5 miles per 12-hour shift, and 1/3 to 1/2 of a mile per hour worked, according to results published in the August 2006 issue of MedSurg Nursing, the Journal of Adult Health.

The article also cited an ongoing study on nurses' health and found that those who are ages 40 to 65 experienced reduced diabetes and stroke. Yet the constant walking could also accelerate fatigue and exacerbate underlying muscle injuries, according to the study.

At AAMC's emergency room, the movement is constant and the brands of shoes are abundant. The nurses wore Birkenstocks, Danskos, sneakers or whatever makes them the most comfortable. Nurse Sally Grimm opts for Danskos.

"A typical (registered nurse) in this department would walk from one end to the other at least multiple times every day," said Ms. Grimm, a clinical educator. "It's what we do and we try to develop a system that will make us efficient about where we walk. The bottom line is, you have to get to point A and point B and you have to do it a lot."

The work of BWMC nurse Debbie Russell takes her around the campus, sometimes to four buildings. She works in the hospital's breast program and aids patients who are being treated for breast cancer, from diagnosis to surgery and radiology. She averages 4 miles per shift, but her most has been 7 miles.

Ms. Russell takes her own precautions for walking. She opts for sneakers and usually replaces them every 6 months.

She also wears sunscreen and a hat when she has to go outside during warmer weather. As if the constant walking wasn't enough, Ms. Russell also does yoga when she isn't working.

"I make sure that when I can sit down, I do sit down," said Ms. Russell, of Odenton. "(But) my calves are in good shape."

General Surgeon: Advice to Medical Students

Doctor offers practical advice, culled from years of experience.


"Wear good support hose when you're on call," I'll say, "and your legs won't get so tired.

"And no matter how skanky the locker room, make sure you take a shower if you're ever up all night, because a shower is worth two hours sleep."

Anti-Gravity Support Socks

Anti-Gravity Support Socks Online Video

Anti-Gravity Support Socks

Reduce the Effects of Gravity, Leg Pain, and Swelling