Socks that make you recover better from a long or intense bike ride? I'm sceptical about it. For pros, this certainly seems useful to the marginal gains to get, but for an amateur like me, it wouldn't make any difference, would it? I put it to the test and tried the Stox Energy Socks last month.
Why compression socks?
The reason you see many pros walking around with compression socks is because it allows for faster muscle recovery and less muscle soreness. In addition, they can also improve your performance while cycling. Because wearing these socks is prohibited during races, you never see the pros riding with them in races. However, there are pros who train with them.
How does that work?
A compression sock basically works very simply. By holding the calves under pressure via the sock, blood circulation is stimulated, preventing waste products from staying in your legs and allowing fresh blood with plenty of oxygen to enter your legs.
The pressure of a compression sock is highest at the ankle and gradually decreases towards your knee. This decreasing pressure is important because it ensures that the blood in your veins is drained even better.
My experiences
First of all, I must say something about putting the socks on, because that is an adventure in itself. These socks are tight, very tight. And that means you have to put them on with quite some force. The first few times it took me a bit of effort, but after about four times it became easier.
I tested the socks in three ways, with different experiences before, during and after an intense workout. You can read my experiences below:
For a training course
In the evening, a race on Zwift was scheduled. And during the day I fell in at another department, which meant I had to spend the whole day standing. With an office job, I'm not used to that. So an ideal opportunity to put on the Stox Energy Socks while working. An advantage is that I was wearing long trousers, this meant no one noticed I was wearing those crazy long socks.
During the day, I didn't feel my legs. I had thought that by the end of the day I would have stable legs would have, but that wasn't too bad. On home and after some food on the bike. Popping on Zwift for an hour, I wasn't bothered by anything. No heavy legs, all the energy to put the legs to work on the bike as well, even though I had been on my feet all day, which I am not used to. So a positive experience.
The only downside is that the socks do not ventilate very well, so your feet get very hot very quickly. If you are prone to sweaty feet, this is not so nice. Not for yourself, but also not for those around you.
After training
I also tested the socks after a workout. Since the Stox Energy Socks promote recovery, this would be a logical choice as far as I was concerned. So after a hefty endurance workout of a couple of hours, I put on the Energy Socks and went to relax. I literally felt the blood flowing through my legs, a pretty special feeling. Because of the pressure on my calves, blood circulation is stimulated and I felt that tremendously.
But did I notice a difference? Yes, I noticed a difference. I still sometimes do laundry and our washing machine is in the attic. To do this, I have to climb two flights of stairs. After a long and intensive workout, my legs fill up and I have to stand at the top of the stairs to recover because I feel my legs. With the Stox Energy Socks, none of this. I walked up the stairs as fresh as a fiddle and my legs did not fill up. Even playing with my little son in the playground was no problem. No full and tired legs, I could just run after him. The next one had another workout scheduled and where I normally have heavy legs after an intensive workout, I felt like I was as fresh as the day before. This is really a big difference for me and it really surprised me.
During training
Here I can be quite brief. I felt no noticeable effect while cycling. No less acidification, no longer in higher zones, no lower heart rate. No different than usual, except that I cycled rather embarrassed with those football socks....
Verdict
I wouldn't recommend the Stox Energy Socks to every cycling tourist. But if you are serious about cycling and train several times a week to get better, you may find that your legs feel fresher thanks to the Stox Energy Socks. But then wear the socks before and/or after training. During training, I didn't notice any difference.
The price of one pair of socks is €39. I find it difficult to indicate whether this is cheap or expensive. Simply put, they are expensive socks. But for avid cyclists, €39 is not a big investment for the benefit you get in return. So
One last point to note. When combined with shorts, it doesn't really look like you're going to have to put up with it, because when combined with shorts, it does look a bit odd on your mother-in-law's birthday.
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