Have you ever suffered from sore painful calves when you run and exercise? Calf muscles are frequently difficult to manage muscle cramps/soreness. Fortunately, there are good ways to stabilize and handle this challenge. As someone who has suffered with calf pain, soreness, and calf spasms over the years, I’m always looking for answers to these issues. One way of handling them well is to wear compression calf sleeves (and socks). But let’s focus on the calf sleeve solution today provided by +MD. Before I go further, I must disclose that I received a free pair of calf sleeves from +MD to test and review. Based upon running in the calf sleeves for 7-10 runs, here is my review.
First, the +MD calf sleeves are well-designed and fit well. They are comfortable. I had to measure my calf circumference to find the right size and chose the blue ones.
Second, I noticed in my very first run in the calf sleeves at how much it helped my sore calves, helping me to run more relaxed, with greater ease, causing me to worry less about the muscle group that was hurting the most before I put on the sleeves.
I did test the calf sleeves atop and below running tights. I’m cautious about doubling compression but I found that it worked either way with these sleeves. I also wore them by themselves without running tights and they performed well.
I like the fact that they are reflective (the arcs are). I haven’t tested to see if the +MD logo on the other side is reflective or not. So that’s a plus for safety during Running Safety Month. It appears that the arc side is to be worn on the shin side but I could see the benefit of wearing them on the calf side as well (or wearing one arc forward and one arc backward if you like variety).
The MD calf sleeves performed favorably compared to all others I have used, even the UnderArmour ones that I use most frequently. The UnderArmour sleeves might have a slight edge in summer if it’s hot and humid due to the vented aspect on one side. But for fall/winter, I’d rather wear MD calf sleeves, they seem to be warmer than the UnderArmour ones. And I noticed the same level of benefit wearing MD sleeves as any of my compression socks that I wear.
Made of nylon and spandex, the MD sleeves are hand wash only. Very easy to wash (only takes a minute or two) and dry on the rack.
Although I have mainly tested the MD sleeves outside, I tested them inside on the treadmill and noticed a similar benefit. By keeping the calf muscles a littler tighter, it seems to keep calf pain and soreness away. And it’s much faster and more convenient to slip on compression sleeves on and off than compression socks (which seem to fit a little tighter).
Do I wear calf sleeves and compression socks daily? Not necessarily. But I found myself wearing the sleeves about 5 days-6 days/week during the test.
Distance-wise, I tested the MD sleeves up to about the 10k distance and found that they performed well. No problems. No need to adjust the sleeves.
My calves have been one of my weaknesses the past few years. So it’s reassuring to know that a strong pair of MD compression calf sleeves can protect me from the problems I have had with this muscle group. And I’ve noticed that leaving them on for a while after running did help to aid my recovery, speeding it up a bit.
Two thumbs up for these MD calf sleeves, I’m very impressed with them. I haven’t had to tape my calves either. Want to try these calf sleeves? Here’s a shortened weblink where you can find more info: http://amzo.me/ggkil2
I’ll share a few more photos of these so you can see them. Coming soon: reviews of the MD ultra-light athletic tank top and compression T-shirts. Thanks again to +MD for asking me to review these calf sleeves.
Do you wear compression socks and/or calf sleeves? If so, which do you prefer?
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