August 15, 2011

Product Review: Saucony AMP PRO2 Recovery Tights (aka "Oxygen Pants")

Last week I picked up a pair of the Saucony AMP PRO2 Recovery Tights. You can read the science behind Celliant, but the bottom line is that the tights are supposed to increase the flow of Oxygen, and therefore enhance recovery.

On paper, that sounds awesome, and there are actually clinical studies that back up the claims. But does it actually happen?

I'm not fan of quick fix gimmicks. My training mottos are:

"Miles make champions" and "The secret it... there is no secret."

Monkey shoes, gadgets, and magic foods can't replace logging 120 mile weeks, hitting your workouts hard, and racing. There's no secret to any of that stuff. It boils down to getting out the door at 5:30am no matter what.

This year I've stepped up my training to a new level. More miles, more workouts, more races. I'm working really hard, yet I am healthier than ever, because I'm also taking recovery a lot more serious than I ever have in the past. Andrea and I have been joking lately that our evenings consist of nothing but recovery. Icing, stretching, massaging, etc.

Back in early May, Andrea bought me a pair of compression socks. At first I was a bit skeptical, then I put them on and starting wearing them all the time. They have made a major difference for me. Now I have several pairs and wear them all day, every day at work. I'm able to bounce back from my morning workouts and have some spunk in my step for my afternoon runs, despite sitting at a desk all day.

When I started reading about Saucony's AMP PRO2 line, I was intrigued. I figured that even if it made a tiny difference, all the little things add up. And the difference between 2:18:59 and 2:20 is only about half a percent. Plus, knowing what I know about Saucony and the folks that work there, I know that they don't think this is a gimmick, either.

So, do they work? I've only been wearing them for a few days, but I'm in the middle of a very hard block of training, and crushed some workouts with times that I didn't think I'd be able to hit considering my recent training volume. I've been sleeping really well while wearing them, and my legs feel fresh in the mornings. They are also really comfortable*... not too tight. I'm on board with the "Oxygen Pants" and plan to keep wearing them. Andrea also has a pair on the way, so we'll re-visit the efficacy of these recovery tights after we've both been using them for a month or two. [Update: After several weeks of use, and a big half marathon PR, I'm even more of a believer!]

*I should also note that I think there is a misconception (in some other reviews I have read) about these tights not being "tight enough" to achieve the full benefits of medical-grade compression. That isn't the idea behind the Celliant material... it fits a little looser (but is still snug) and doesn't need to be super tight to work. The major benefit to that is they are very comfortable and you can get a good night of sleep with them on, and you can wear them for much longer periods of time.

They are pretty stylish, too!...

1 comment:

  1. Hi Jake! It must have been great to get a pair of Saucony AMP Pro 2 recovery tights and find out more about Celliant technology. Thanks for helping to spread the word! We have a Facebook Page (Facebook.com/Celliant) and Twitter profile (twitter.com/Celliant) and we'd love to continue to connect with you there and hear more about your training.

    Here's to better performance,
    David & the Celliant Social Media Team

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