At the 2000 Sydney Olympics, indigenous Australian athlete Cathy Freeman flew across the finish line in the 400 metre sprint final. The other Olympians around her were clad in familiar minimal race-wear. But Freeman won gold in a now iconic head-to-toe suit.

The Swift Suit was carefully crafted by Nike engineers to minimise wind drag and to allow Freeman to run as efficiently as possible. Each part of her body was expertly draped in technical fabrics designed to maximise the body’s efficiency, including her lower legs that were wrapped in a specially-designed compression material.

Compression wear, most typically in the form of leggings, has risen in popularity for both athletes and non-professionals in recent years. Technical brands such as 2XU, Nike, and Under Armour are leading the charge – and demand is expected to keep growing, with the compression wear and shapewear market expected to reach $5.6 billion (approx. £4.4 billion) by 2022.

So, what exactly are compression leggings and how are they different to our regular tights? And most importantly, can they help us run as fast as Freeman?

Can compression leggings make you a better runner?