If you’ve watched any football lately, you likely saw players wearing arm sleeves. Also known as compression sleeves, they’ve grown in popularity in recent years. Athletes in many sports leagues wear them due to their health benefits, aiding in a player’s recovery and enhancing performance. Show But arm sleeves are not the only item that NFL players utilize in order to help with performance and aid recovery. Here’s everything you need to know about compression sleeves and more. What are the health benefits of compression arm sleeves?There are a number of benefits to using compression arm sleeves. They’ve have been around for decades but are now becoming more commonplace among pro athletes. Here are some of the most important benefits as the sleeves relate to health and safety: Proper circulationCompression sleeves help athletes get better circulation to a certain area of their body. Controlling body temperatureCompression sleeves act as a layer that moderates the body’s temperature more regularly. Skin protectionCompression sleeves protect skin from small things like scratches and bumps as well as big concerns like providing UV protection from the sun. RecoveryWhen muscles become sore post-exercise, sleeves help the muscles recover more quickly, allowing deoxygenated blood to more quickly circulate back to the heart, aiding in overall recovery. Preventing muscle sorenessWearing compression sleeves helps to prevent muscle tightness and soreness by loosening the muscles so they don’t hurt during a performance or while healing. Do compression sleeves work?Several studies show that compression sleeves can improve blood flow, reduce soreness, and lessen recovery time. So it does seem like the sleeves work for at least some of the benefits. Other benefits of arm sleevesThe health benefits of wearing compression sleeves are part of why athletes wear them, but there are also cosmetic benefits. Some athletes wear the sleeves to cover up tattoos that may be considered inappropriate or offensive. Former NBA player Allen Iverson was one of the first mainstream athletes to popularize wearing arm sleeves. He reportedly had to wear one in order to cover up a tattoo on his arm while he was on the court. Another reason athletes wear the sleeves is because they just think the sleeves look cool. NFL players looking to add flair to their style may wear the sleeves, especially if the players think the sleeves complement their team’s colors. Another fad that may help athletic performanceCompression sleeves may be the most popular fad for NFL players’ performance and recovery, but they’re not the only item used for that purpose. Physio tape is another popular way pro athletes try to improve their play. Also called kinesiology tape, physio tape is a thin, light, and stretchy fabric that’s believed to improve athletic performance and reduce the risk of injury better than traditional athletic tape. Physio tape does this by amplifying proprioception, the sense of where one’s limbs are positioned. Some people believe physio tape also speeds up the healing process by lifting the skin away from injured or sore tissues. This may improve blood flow and support injured muscles and joints without impeding range of motion. There isn’t much scientific evidence to support the claims people make about the benefits of physio tape. There may be a placebo effect. Follow more updates from Sportscasting on our Facebook page. Sunday’s Packers-Bears game may be the coldest game ever in Chicago, with forecasts for a below-zero high. Yet many players on both teams will go sleeveless, as football players always do. Bears coach John Fox thinks that’s stupid. Fox said his message to the team is that if they’re trying to look tough, rather than taking care of their bodies, they’re doing themselves a disservice. “I’ve told them the macho stuff’s all great, but there comes a point where people might question your intelligence,” Fox said. That message didn’t get through to the players. Pernell McPhee, the Bears’ defensive captain, insisted that looking tough and being tough are one and the same. “I ain’t wearing sleeves,” McPhee said. “As a defensive lineman, as a front-seven guy, as a guy who plays defense — I think it’s a sign of weakness. I ain’t wearing no sleeves. I don’t know about everybody else. I’m at war. I’m [in] combat. I ain’t got time to think about sleeves. I’m gonna go out there sleeveless, and that’s how I’m going to play.” Fox will be wearing a thick coat on the sideline, but some of his players would rather risk frostbite on the field than show any sign that the cold is getting to them. NFL players who go sleeveless in the cold are...RICHMOND — The Redskins practiced in mid-80s temperatures on Monday, and it felt worse on the field due to a nice helping of humidity. If you looked at some of the players, however, you'd think it was November back in Ashburn. That's because a sizable chunk of the roster went through drills and 11-on-11 work wearing long sleeves or sweatshirts under their jerseys. Plenty of guys, from linemen like Morgan Moses to defensive backs such as Landon Collins, opted for extra layers despite the fact that it was steamy here. And that's been a trend all camp. So, what's the deal? It turns out each Redskin has his own reason. Take Deshazor Everett, for example. The fifth-year safety was donning black sleeves under his burgundy uniform and, after the session, explained why. "I got like three bands of tattoos on my body, so I just try to preserve them as long as I can," he said. You'd think some athletes would wear more to lose more weight. That could be one factor for others, but Everett mentioned he drops plenty in the summer already. Undrafted rookie receiver Steven Sims, meanwhile, had a different response. The pass-catcher was rocking a loose and long white shirt beneath his No. 15 because, according to him, it actually helps combat the heat. "I learned a trick a long time ago back at home," Sims said. "Wear long sleeves, it keeps you cool when you start sweating." So, you've got one somewhat cosmetic motivation and one focused on feeling the best during live action. Ex-Redskin Santana Moss, on the other hand, made the switch from bare arms to covered arms to improve his actual performance. Early on in Washington, Moss played with a few elbow bands but never anything more. Then, in one game, a pass slipped through his arms and was intercepted. From that point forward, the speedster chose to suit up in tight sleeves -- no matter the weather. Not everyone is in on the movement, though. Trey Quinn is one member of the team who's never layered up, and he has a few thoughts on why he falls on that side. One is football-based. "I don't like catching punts with cloth on my forearm. I feel like I get better stick." The other is, um, life-based. "I show my guns off, to be honest with you. I know there are a lot of good looking ladies out here. They want to see some biceps, triceps. I don't do this for nothing." MORE REDSKINS NEWS
Usually, when NFL players don’t wear long sleeves in the cold, we believe they’re doing so to appear tough. But, when the temperatures drop to frigid lows, Patriots tight end Martellus Bennett doesn’t wear sleeves for a different reason. An arctic front is hitting much of the United States at the moment, with temperatures dropping into the teens. Earlier today, it was a balmy 20 degrees as Patriots practice. As the players prepared to brave the cold to get their work in, they talked to reporters while simultaneously bundling up. The temperature for Sunday’s game in Denver is expected to be around the 20-degree mark as well. But, when both teams storm out onto the field, expect to see far fewer long sleeves and hoodies than at practice. Bennett has an odd, and humorous, explanation for that. From NESN’s Zack Cox:
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