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Lower limb compression garment improves recovery from exercise-induced muscle damage in young, active females

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Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the efficacy of lower limb compression as a recovery strategy following exercise-induced muscle damage (EIMD). Seventeen female volunteers completed 10 × 10 plyometric drop jumps from a 0.6-m box to induce muscle damage. Participants were randomly allocated to a passive recovery (n = 9) or a compression treatment (n = 8) group. Treatment group volunteers wore full leg compression stockings for 12 h immediately following damaging exercise. Passive recovery group participants had no intervention. Indirect indices of muscle damage (muscle soreness, creatine kinase activity, knee extensor concentric strength, and vertical jump performance) were assessed prior to and 1, 24, 48, 72, and 96 h following plyometric exercise. Plyometric exercise had a significant effect (p ≤ 0.05) on all indices of muscle damage. The compression treatment reduced decrements in countermovement jump performance (passive recovery 88.1 ± 2.8% vs. treatment 95.2 ± 2.9% of pre-exercise), squat jump performance (82.3 ± 1.9% vs. 94.5 ± 2%), and knee extensor strength loss (81.6 ± 3% vs. 93 ± 3.2%), and reduced muscle soreness (4.0 ± 0.23 vs. 2.4 ± 0.24), but had no significant effect on creatine kinase activity. The results indicate that compression clothing is an effective recovery strategy following exercise-induced muscle damage.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Sport and Health Sciences, University of Exeter, St. Luke’s Campus, Heavitree Road, Exeter, Devon, EX1 2LU, UK

    John R. Jakeman, Chris Byrne & Roger G. Eston

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  1. John R. Jakeman
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  2. Chris Byrne
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  3. Roger G. Eston
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Correspondence to John R. Jakeman.

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Communicated by William Kraemer.

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Jakeman, J.R., Byrne, C. & Eston, R.G. Lower limb compression garment improves recovery from exercise-induced muscle damage in young, active females. Eur J Appl Physiol 109, 1137–1144 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-010-1464-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-010-1464-0

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