Story highlights Compression tights don't help runners go farther or faster, according to a new study

They may provide a mental boost, which can be just as important for a successful run

(CNN) There are two types of people who go to the gym: the ones who go to work out, and the ones who go to take pictures of themselves pretending to work out. Today, science has good news only for the latter.

Compression tights are form-fitting leggings that clothing manufacturers claim hold muscles in place and offer other health benefits, as well as lifting a wearer's butt and streamlining their figure. But they don't help runners run farther or faster, according to researchers at the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center , who presented their findings Thursday at the American College of Sports Medicine 's annual meeting in Denver.

"We found that compression tights actually reduce the amount your muscles vibrate, but that was not associated with any less fatigue during a 30-minute high-intensity run," said Ajit Chaudhari , lead author of the study and associate professor of physical therapy at OSU.

Chaudhari and his colleagues decided to pursue the study after reviewing research that found when muscles are vibrating, they "activate" more in an apparent attempt to reduce vibration.

"So, if that's happening, over the course of a long run, that extra activation ought to lead to greater fatigue, because it basically takes more energy to be more active," he said. "By that theory, reducing vibration ought to reduce the amount of energy the muscle is using to do the work it's trying to do, and so therefore you would end up with less fatigue overall."