Copper shirts for pain relief: How effective are they?

There has been an upsurge in the popularity of copper infused compression clothing, mainly thanks to the NFL. Athletes have been using such compression shirts more and more. There have been a lot of claims about the effectiveness of copper shirts for pain relief. But are they actually effective, or are they the next in line of athletic super tools that are actually ineffective. Let’s find out.

The effects of copper shirts

There are many different uses of copper compression shirts. They can help your muscles recover quicker. They can enhance circulation, thus copper shirts for pain relief are becoming more and more popular. Scientists claim copper has antibacterial qualities. But does the antimicrobial effect apply to compression shirts too? Are these effects just a mirage, or is there real evidence for them?

Compression or copper?

Let’s separate the claims made about the positive effects of copper compression shirts. Which effects are down to the qualities of compression clothing, and which are due to the effects of copper? Are compression shirts for pain just as effective as copper shirt for pain relief? More importantly, are there any additional risks and side effects involved in wearing copper compression shirts for pain relief compared to simple compression shirts?

Manufacturers claim that copper compression shirts improve athletic performance and help you recover faster before the next event. Although there haven’t been any scientific studies about the effects of compression shirts on athletic performance, many studies demonstrated the positive effects of compression socks on running performance. We have no reason to believe that leg muscles would react differently to compression clothing than upper body muscles, so these studies will do just fine for the purposes of examining whether copper shirts for pain relief are actually effective.

It has been shown that even though low and medium strength compression socks didn’t improve speed of running, but they helped the athletes maintain leg power after running. This has been interpreted as proof that compression socks improve endurance.

Other studies showed the performance enhancing effects of compression socks. They have been shown to lower heart rate in runners. If you want to read more about the positive effects of running compression socks, check out this article.

Copper shirts for pain relief

Why are compression shirts effective in relieving pain? To find the answer, we need to understand how compression clothing works. They enhance blood circulation. The veins are responsible for circulating the blood lacking oxygen and nutrients from the muscles to the heart. The blood flowing through them also washes through the muscles, getting rid of the waste materials. The most important of these waste materials is lactic acid. This is a byproduct of hard muscle work in oxygen-ridden conditions.

Lactic acid causes muscle burn after the workouts up to 48 hours. This is called delayed onset muscle soreness. Similarly lactic acid buildup is what causes pain when you push yourself too hard during workouts. The more an athlete can tolerate lactic acid buildup, the more they can push themselves during competition.

Compression shirts improve blood circulation. They apply pressure on the veins, which decreases their diameter. The blood flows quicker in turn. The quicker blood flow means the lactic acid and other waste materials get washed out of the muscles quicker during, and after competition. This has effects during workouts. After workouts, during recovery the compression shirt’s positive effects speed up the process of getting back to your best.

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What about the effects of copper?

Copper has well documented antibacterial qualities. Similarly copper shirt manufacturers claim they prevent bad door. Copper shirts for pain relief not only help you do better and get back to your best sooner, they also prevent bad body odour and poor hygiene.

Bad odour is caused by bacterial growth in the sweat. Although most compression shirts let your skin breathe, they don’t prevent the bacteria growing on your skin.

Are there any side effects involved with copper compression shirts? Well, we only have studies about copper compression socks. The science says there are no side effects involved with wearing copper compression socks. If you want to know about the difference between regular compression socks and copper infused compression socks, you can find more information in this article.

We have all the reason to believe that these effects convert to copper shirts for pain relief.

Conclusion

There are many positive effects of copper shirts for pain relief. They help athletic performance, help the lactic acid wash out of the muscles quicker, and prevent delayed onset muscle soreness. The additional copper content prevents bacterial growth and bad body odour. Enjoy the positive health and hygienic effects of copper shirts for pain relief by selecting from one of the best copper compression shirts.