Skip to main content

Table 1 Sample characteristics

From: Lower extremity compression garments use by athletes: why, how often, and perceived benefit

 

Endurance athletes (n = 451)

Non-endurance athletes (n = 61)

P-value

Basic characteristics

 Sex, Female/Male, n (%)

255/196

(56.5/43.5)

39/22

(63.9/36.1)

0.273*

 Age years, median (IQR)

41

(34.0-48.0)

34.0

(23.5-42.0)

0.739

 Height, cm, mean (SD)

177.6

(8.6)

174.8

(8.9)

0.756

 Body mass, kg, median (IQR)

71.0

(63.0-80.0)

72.0

(63.5-79.5)

0.782

Primary sport, n (%)

 Running

382

(84.7)

-

  

 Trail running

5

(1.1)

-

  

 Road cycling/ mountain biking/ tour cycling

24

(5.3)

-

  

 Triathlon

27

(6.0)

-

  

 (Nordic) Walking/ racewalking

6

(1.3)

-

  

 Canicross

5

(1.0)

-

  

 Spinning

1

(0.2)

-

  

 Speed skating

1

(0.2)

-

  

 Soccer

-

 

2

(3.2)

 

 Hockey

-

 

3

(4.9)

 

 Korfball

-

 

3

(4.9)

 

 Basketball

-

 

1

(1.6)

 

 Handball

-

 

1

(1.6)

 

 Athletics

-

 

6

(9.8)

 

 Tennis

-

 

8

(13.1)

 

 Volleyball

-

 

4

(6.6)

 

 Fitness (cardio and strength training)

-

 

10

(16.4)

 

 Obstacle course racing / survival running

-

 

15

(24.6)

 

 Bootcamp

-

 

2

(3.2)

 

 Kickboxing

-

 

3

(4.9)

 

 Other

1

(0.2)

3

(4.9)

 

Number of sports in which athlete participated, n (%)

 1 sport

105

(23.6)

10

(16.4)

 

 2 sports

199

(44.7)

22

(36.1)

 

 3 sports

141

(31.7)

27

(44.3)

 

Primary sport

 Average training load/week during the last 3-months, hours, median (IQR)

4.0

(2.8-5.0)

3.0

(3.0-5.0)

0.900

 Could not train for primary sport because of sports injury, n (%)

10

(2.2)

1

(1.7)

 

 Competition participation during the last 12 months, median (IQR)

12.0

(5.0-24.0)

30

(12.0-52.0)

<0.001

Secondary sport

 Average training load/week during the last 3 months, hours, median (IQR)

2.0

(1.0-3.0)

2.0

(2.0-3.0)

0.090

 Could not train for secondary sport because of sports injury

11

(3.2)

1

(2.0)

 

 Competition participation during the last 12 months, median (IQR)

12.0

(2.0-12.0)

12.0

(3.2-21.0)

0.462

Tertiary sport

 Average training load/week during the last 3 months, hours, median (IQR)

1.0

(1.0-3.0)

2.0

(1.0-3.0)

0.557

 Could not train for secondary sport because of sports injury

0

(0)

0

(0)

 

 Competition participation during the last 12 months, median (IQR)

7.0

(2.0-18.0)

8.0

(3.5-12.0)

0.890

 Total§ average training load/week during the last 3 months, hours, median (IQR)

5.0

(4.0-8.0)

6.0

(5.0-10.0)

0.038

 Total§ competition participation during the last 12 months, median (IQR)

12.0

(6.0-24.0)

36.0

(12.0-52.0)

<0.001

Average running distance per week during the last 3 months for athletes whose primary sport was running, kilometres (n = 381), n (%)

 0-5

20

(5.2)

-

  

 6-10

39

(10.2)

-

  

 11-22

109

(28.6)

-

  

 23-42

150

(39.4)

-

  

 >42

63

(16.5)

-

  

Type of CGs, n (%)

 PRO sports compression sock

259

(57.4)

44

(72.1)

 

 PRO sports compression tube

127

(28.2)

11

(18.0)

 

 Herzog ankle compression socks

34

(7.5)

4

(6.6)

 

 Active compression garments

24

(5.3)

2

(3.3)

 

 Thigh support (hamstring garment)

2

(0.4)

0

(0.0)

 

 PRO compressive knee support garment

2

(0.4)

0

(0.0)

 

 Other Herzog compression garment

3

(0.7)

0

(0.0)

 
  1. Abbreviation: SD standard deviation, IQR 25 to 75% inter-quartile range
  2. *Tested using a chi-squared test
  3. Tested using Mann-Whitney U-test
  4. tested using t-test
  5. §Total regards the sum of the primary, secondary, and tertiary sports