The Physiological Effects of Wearing Compression Garments During Exercise

Methods

Summary

Subjects: Ten subjects will participate in this study. Subjects must be free of any musculoskeletal injuries, cardiovascular or metabolic disorders, and compromised blood circulation and must not have regularly participated in a resistance training exercise program in the two years preceding their involvement in the study. 

Procedure: Each subject will complete 1-3 familiarization trials where they will be introduced to the protocol and equipment. The exercise protocol will be performed on a HUMAC NORM Extremity System (HUMAC NORM, Computer Sports Medicine, Stoughton, MA) set for eccentric contraction of the quadriceps at 180 deg/sec. Each subject will perform three sets of 50 repetitions with three minutes of rest between sets. Subjects will perform an experimental trial wearing a graduated compression garment and a control trial wearing a pair of their own loose fitting, exercise shorts. The order of the exercise trials will be randomized and separated by at least seven days. After each exercise trial, subjects will be instructed to refrain from using any non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, ice, massage, topical ointments, or any other type of post-exercise recovery modality. The graduated compression garments used will be the DFND Elite Compression Tight (DFND USA, Manhattan Beach, CA). All graduated compression garments will be fit to each subject according to the manufacturer's guidelines.

Measurements: All measurements will be taken immediately before, immediately after, 24 hours, 48 hours, and 72 hours post exercise.

Blood Sample: A lancet will be used to obtain blood samples from the fingertip. The blood sample will be collected and analyzed for creatine kinase. Creatine kinase is an enzyme that is a marker of muscle damage. In this study, increased concentrations of creatine kinase will be indicative of muscle breakdown caused by exercise.

Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (NIRS): NIRS measurements will be performed on the quadriceps. Topical detectors will be secured will tape over the skin and further secured will an overlying covering. These detectors will measure tissue concentrations of oxyhemoglobin and deoxyhemoglobin. These concentrations will allow us to assess how much oxygen is bound to hemoglobin (the protein that carries oxygen in the blood). Increased concentrations of oxyhemoglobin will suggest an improvement in the transportation of oxygen to working skeletal muscle.

Leg Circumference: Leg circumference at the mid-point between the lateral side of the patella and the greater trochanter will be measured with a flexible tape measure. Two measurements will be taken at each data collection visit with the average of the two being used. 

Rating of Perceived Muscle Soreness: A 10-cm visual analog scale will be used to assess the subject's rating of perceived muscle soreness.