This review of CEP Compression sleeves was written by Sarah Barber. A lifetime resident of Boise, Idaho, Barber has been a Life Flight Paramedic for seventeen years and currently works in a dual capacity as a clinician and a Quality Manager. CEP provided the gear for testing at no charge.
Gone are the days of the stodgy nude-colored sleeves strangling grandma’s cankles like sausage casings. Once found only on the limbs of the geriatric set or the residents of the post-surgical hospital wards, compression gear is now omnipresent in the world of sports—for those who participate and for those who spend hours traveling to spectate.
Science
It’s easy for medicine to lead the charge when it comes to innovation because the science is there to support it. Such is the case with compression gear. There’s no question that squeezing soft tissue will increase arterial blood flow and venous return—the vessels that are the very conduits for oxygen, nutrients, metabolites, and more. Thus, it stands to reason that wrapping muscles with tight-yet-stretchy polymers before, during, and after use is likely to benefit them. Whether the goal is to set a new personal record or simply to avoid a DVT from sitting still, compression wear has a seat at the table.
“Compression gear is now omnipresent in the world of sports”
Technology
However, CEP Compression goes far beyond simply creating corsets for your calves. By adding infrared technology to their compression fabric, they’ve taken improving blood flow to flood status. It turns out that so-called “micro minerals” embedded in textiles absorb the radiant energy—think of it as heat—from the body and reflect it back into skin and muscle, which stimulates molecules, which makes them vibrate, which produces heat, which promotes circulation, which enhances mobility, which speeds recovery, which….are we on the same wavelength, somewhere around ten-thousand nanometers? Bottom line: we might be talking about marginal gains when it comes to athletic performance and recovery, but a handful of marginal gains spread across a variety of improvements could translate to substantial gains. And if said gains are safe, legal, and affordable, sign me up!
Testing
In testing CEP Compression’s Infrared Recovery Socks, the name itself was informative: benefits could be had even while reclined on the sofa. My appendages are chronically icy, so I didn’t have cold feet about jumping into a pair of garments that promised a thermal effect. Even while motionless in my basement office, my feet stayed toasty, sensation intact. There’s not much in the way of data to guide a wear protocol for compression gear, but I kept the socks on for over six hours, hoping to prevent delayed onset muscle soreness from strength training earlier in the day.
The effect was enough that I wondered what would happen if I wore them all day every day. It wouldn’t be a heavy lift. The footbeds are comfortably padded, and the color choices are subtle enough to blend in with business casual. Also, unlike extremely constricting compression gear, the CEP sock’s degree of compression was more apparent when I peeled them off than when I was wearing them. In other words, they weren’t annoyingly restrictive. Even better, infrared radiation is a known anti-microbial, possibly eradicating bacteria from perspiration, which means I really could wear the socks all day every day without stinking! But I didn’t sweat, thanks to CEP’s moisture-managing weave.
The author testing the product.
Enjoy the Pressure
CEP Compression reminds consumers to “enjoy the pressure,” and the German-based company makes it easy to do so. In fact, why stop with socks? CEP makes calf sleeves, arm sleeves, shirts with short sleeves, shirts with long sleeves, full-length tights, and more. Admittedly, I wasn’t a fan of the Ultralight 7/8 Tights that I tried, but that was largely due to the ultra-high waist (I get it—that’s what the kids are wearing these days, but my middle-aged tummy felt cleaved at the ribcage yet there wasn’t enough compression to tame the inevitable pooch).
With attention to size charts and product descriptions, the discerning consumer can’t go wrong. Actually, no consumer can go wrong. Compression gear makes sense for anyone and any purpose, whether you’re playing in the World Series or recovering while watching a mini-series. CEP Compression will multiply those marginal gains into big wins—or at least fewer aches and pains!
