Professional basketball players have been using solutions to support their joints and stabilize their hands during the game for years. Compression sleeves are also becoming increasingly popular among amateur basketball players.
The sports gadget is not new on the market, but its popularity is growing all the time. Most often it can be found in professional players during volleyball or basketball matches. Thanks to modern technology and special tests, the sleeves are safe for health and help professional athletes maintain effective muscle work of the whole arm. The material exerts pressure on the muscles involved in training, improves blood circulation and oxygenates muscle tissue, accelerating its construction and increasing endurance. The sleeve should be worn not only during activity but also afterwards, which maintains proper blood pressure and prevents micro-injuries and painful soreness. Standard compression sleeves extend from the wrist to the triceps, supporting the muscles of the entire arm.
In addition to improving blood circulation, the sleeve also has a positive effect on muscle performance during training, stabilises the joints and muscles involved, oxygenates the body and reduces the risk of injury. Thanks to improved blood circulation, muscles receive more oxygen, which enables them to work at top performance for longer with less fatigue. More oxygen also accelerates the formation of new muscle tissue, which is a particularly important factor for strength athletes.
During demanding workouts or long matches, the sleeve helps stabilise the arm, improving the correct positioning of muscles and joints during technical plays or lifting barbells with heavy loads, thus reducing the risk of serious injury, such as muscle strain. The compression sleeve also speeds up muscle recovery after an intense workout, reducing lactic acid in muscle tissue and preventing painful soreness.
Using compression sleeves is recommended for athletes who practice strength sports. When lifting barbells in the gym, muscles are subjected to a lot of effort and can easily become damaged, and the sleeve evenly distributes the load and stabilizes the arm during exercise. The use of a sleeve works well in both individual and team sports, which is why it is becoming increasingly common to see sports broadcasts with athletes wearing a compression sleeve. It should be used especially by athletes who already have well-developed and sculpted muscles – in this case, the sleeve will have the desired effect and help during exercise.
Beginners should not use the sleeve at the beginning of their training, since the arm supported by the sleeve will be able to bear the weight, but injury may occur in another, unprepared part of the body, such as the spine. The sleeve will only improve training results in experienced athletes, while it can cause serious injury in beginners.
There are a variety of compression sleeve designs available in the sports accessory market, allowing you to perfectly match the style to your athlete’s preferences. Instead, the more important consideration when choosing a sleeve is the material it is made from. Normally, compression sleeves are made of synthetic material, which has a high resistance to damage and abrasion. When choosing a sleeve, it is worth checking whether the material from which it is made is definitely thermoactive, air permeable and does not retain moisture. In order for the sleeve to serve us for as long as possible, it is necessary to carefully follow the manufacturer’s recommendations when it comes to how to wash and care for the material.
In the highlight photo: Tobias Harris, Philadelphia 76ers winger; photo: Mitchell Leff / Getty Images Sports
