Why Copper Doesn't Help You Heal (And the Missing Elements That Kept It From Becoming Therapeutic)

Copper infusion in recovery wear has little to no health benefits. Because of that, many companies offering copper-infused compression gears faced lawsuits due to fraudulent claims based on little to no evidence. 

What is indeed therapeutic and scientifically proven to work are germanium and bamboo charcoal. 

This guide will show you why copper doesn’t help you heal and the requirements that material needs to become therapeutic. 

Does Copper-Infused Compression Gear Work?

Copper, specifically, doesn’t help you heal because it isn’t a semiconductor and doesn't emit infrared waves or negative ions, which are the essential requirements for a therapeutic element.

It’s a full metal with high conductivity. It doesn’t get affected by your body heat and doesn’t release any of the elements that could have otherwise made it therapeutic. 

Wearing recovery gear made with copper may provide you some benefits such as pain relief and muscle and tendon stability, but it’s not the copper that’s doing the work. It’s just how recovery wear and compression work in general.

You see, most compression gears are worn during workout but removed after, providing temporary benefits to your body. But with therapeutic compression gears, they must be worn 24/7 to help support healing by improving the blood flow and reducing swelling in target areas. This can only be achieved if they’re made from a material that can emit infrared waves and negative ions, like germanium or bamboo charcoal. 

How Does Infrared Wave Emission Help You Heal?

When a compression gear is infused with germanium or bamboo charcoal, it emits infrared waves when it’s warmed by your body heat. Once those waves are absorbed by your tissues, they increase blood flow, stimulate cellular activity, and reduce pain.

How Do Negative Ions Help You Heal?

According to a 2023 study, exposure to negative ions changes the metabolism of amino acids in the body, which manifests as reduced inflammation and increased energy production. 

Additionally, some evidence suggests that negative ions can reduce depression symptoms, positively influence cognitive performance, and improve antimicrobial activity. 

So, Are Copper-Infused Compression Gear Ever Worth It?

Copper-based recovery wears aren’t harmful, and they don’t cause copper toxicity. They do offer compression and comfort, making them great in promoting blood flow and stabilizing muscle movement and tendons as the wearer works out.

However, the false claim of providing further therapeutic effects is what infringed multiple fines for companies over false advertising.

But, apart from its pain relief effects, it’s worth noting that copper does have an antimicrobial effect. According to some studies, it can improve the bacterial biome on your skin. Still, both germanium and bamboo charcoal possess similar antimicrobial effects.

Both materials also pick it up a notch by providing deep-tissue therapeutic effects, something that copper doesn’t provide. 

As such, while copper-infused compression clothing does a good job of compressing and stabilizing muscles, it’s inferior to germanium and bamboo charcoal which actually promotes healing. 

Final Words

So, why is using copper in recovery wear not therapeutic? It’s because copper is a full conductor metal that doesn’t emit infrared waves or negative ions, which are the primary contributors to the long-term recovery process.

Further, wearing copper-infused sleeves outside workouts can compress blood vessels and reduce blood flow, especially if excess copper is used in the manufacturing process. 

As such, if you want guaranteed results and reduced pain by over 62%, go for the most effective and natural way: Thermo Recovery Wear.