There are many types of basketball gear that you can buy online and in sporting goods stores, but one of the most popular items is the arm sleeve. The compression arm sleeves are pieces of sports equipment that are used to cover the arms from the elbows to the wrists, although there are arm sleeves that are longer and can cover up to the biceps.
Although arm sleeves can be worn for different kinds of sports and workouts, they are usually worn more by basketball players. So, what do compression arm sleeves do? Let us find out as we take a look at the benefits of arm sleeves.
1. Better Blood Flow in the Arms
The main benefit of arm sleeves is that it compresses the muscles and the arteries in your arms. These arms sleeves create a “pressure gradient,” which is a focused compression mechanic that allows the arteries to have better efficiency in circulating blood from your heart to your arms and vice versa. So, compression sleeves simply improve blood circulation.
There are many benefits to having better blood flow in the arms, and these include reduced inflammation, reduced soreness, and lower risks of injuries. All in all, compression sleeves provide better blood circulation, which can then help hasten the recovery of your arms when it comes to inflammation, swelling, and soreness.
2. They Keep Your Arms’ Temperature at Bay
Compression arm sleeves are very effective in keeping your arms’ temperature at bay, which can then help in improving blood flow and preventing stiff muscles due to severe heat or cold. Because your arms are covered by compression sleeves, the temperature between your arms and the sleeves would remain consistent, as it is almost impossible for the temperature to be affected by outside elements.
However, there are some compression sleeves that offer breathability in order to prevent the sleeves from getting too warm, which can cause muscle inflammation and soreness in your arms. But if the sleeves are too tight on your arms, then they may have a hard time maintaining temperature. So, you should buy compression sleeves that feel tight but not too tight so that they will feel uncomfortable and restrict your arms’ movements.
3. Protect Your Arms Against Scratches and Cuts
Basketball is a sport where bumping into other players is almost inevitable, and you may also have to dive for the ball sometimes in order to get a steal or to pass it to your teammate. Because of these actions or movements, you will most likely get scratches or cuts on your arms. But with arm sleeves, you will be able to provide protection for your arms against cuts, scratches, and other types of wounds.
Wearing compression sleeves is like having a second layer of skin in your arms, and this layer is ready to get scratched, cut, or scuffed in order to protect your real skin. In addition to wounds and minor injuries, compression sleeves are also effective in protecting your arms against harmful UV rays whenever you are playing basketball outdoors. Unfortunately, compression sleeves can only provide UV protection for your arms, so you may need to apply sunscreen on your body if you plan to play outdoor basketball under the scorching heat.
4. Reduce Muscle Soreness After the Game
After playing basketball for plenty of minutes or hours, you will certainly feel soreness in your arms and other parts of your body. This condition is called “delayed onset soreness” or DOMS, and this type of soreness could often last for two to three days, depending on how sore and swollen the affected muscles are.
With compression sleeves, you will have a much better chance of preventing DOMS from occurring, as the sleeves would already help your muscles recover from soreness and swelling while you are playing basketball. So, if you don’t want to suffer from delayed onset soreness, especially on the days when you have to work in the office or study in school, then you should wear compression sleeves every time you play basketball indoors or outdoors.
5. They Allow You to Play Better
The benefits we have mentioned above allow you to play better overall whenever you wear arm sleeves. These compression sleeves make you play better because they reduce muscle soreness and swelling, which are two of the biggest contributing factors as to why our skills would usually deteriorate after playing for 30 or more minutes of basketball. With compression sleeves, you will be able to play at your best for longer periods of time since the sleeves can help your arm muscles recover faster.
Along with the legs, the arms are very important for playing basketball, as they are used for shooting, defending, and stealing the basketball. So, wearing arm sleeves would allow your arms to recover better so that you will still be able to perform those mentioned actions with ease.
However, keep in mind that compression sleeves don’t really reduce fatigue, as this condition primarily relies on your cardio. So, in order to feel energized even after hours of playing basketball, you would need to not only wear compression sleeves but also improve your cardio, which is relatively easy to do nowadays because of the many cardio workouts that are available online.
And, there you go, the biggest benefits of wearing arm sleeves while playing basketball or even while working out and playing other sports. Wear arm sleeves regularly during workouts or games so that your arms will feel comfortable, relaxed, and protected.
In addition to arm sleeves, you may also find basketball leg sleeves useful. You may check out our article about the Benefits of Basketball Leg Sleeves to learn more.