Some of the finest athletes in the world are competing at the Paris Olympics 2024.
Amongst them was Julien Alfred, who claimed Saint Lucia’s first-ever gold medal in the women’s 100m final on Saturday night.
And those tuning in at home watching the athletics schedule will have noticed some sprinters and long-distance runners wearing arm sleeves.
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But why? Here is everything you need to know.
Why do runners wear arm sleeves?
There are a number of reasons why runners may choose to wear sleeves, ranging from warmth to protection and safety.
Compression
Arm sleeves are primarily worn for the compression benefit that they provide.
Compression sleeves can help reduce swelling induced by longer runs caused by muscle vibrations and tears, which induce an inflammatory response.
This draws excess fluid into the arms and wearing compression arm sleeves can help prevent the swelling this can cause.
They can also be used as a recovery tool post-race by increasing the blood flow to the arms to reduce the chance of injury.
Warmth and weather protection
The running arm sleeves can keep your arms nice and warm, while also offering protection from the wind.
Likewise, it can offer a layer of protection from the sun, although any runners should also make sure to apply sun protection to protect themselves from being out in UV rays for a long period of time.
Safety
Many arm sleeves feature reflective detailing on them, meaning that they can help make runners who run on the streets more visible to motorists on the road.
Any runner who likes to head out in the evening or in low light conditions can use arm sleeves to help increase their chances of being seen by other road users.
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