My Funny Socks

Okay so many of you have asked me about the "weird looking socks" you see me wearing while running on the treadmill. Those knee-high tube socks are my compression socks. They are snug-fitting, over-the-calf socks aimed at improving oxygen delivery to muscles, speeding lactic acid removal and stabilizing the lower leg for greater muscle efficiency.

Compression socks and wraps have been widely accepted in clinical and post-surgical settings for the treatment of edema, lymph edema, phlebitis, varicose veins, spider veins and deep vein thrombosis. Most theories about how the socks can improve running performance focus on the physiological and biomechanical support of the lower extremities.The primary rationale behind wearing compression socks in a race is that they may enhance venous return to the heart through a more efficient calf muscle pump, leading to increased endurance capacity. And there is the notion that because muscles are kept more compact, balance and proprioception are improved and muscle fatigue is minimized. They also aide in faster lactate recovery rates after exercise when wearing the compression socks, suggesting that compression socks might speed recovery after a strenuous workout or a race.

So...still think I am weird?? HAHA!