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Wearing graduated compression stockings augments cutaneous vasodilation in heat-stressed resting humans

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Abstract

Purpose

We investigated whether graduated compression induced by stockings enhances cutaneous vasodilation in passively heated resting humans.

Methods

Nine habitually active young men were heated at rest using water-perfusable suits, resulting in a 1.0 °C increase in body core temperature. Heating was repeated twice on separate occasions while wearing either (1) stockings that cause graduated compression (pressures of 26.4 ± 5.3, 17.5 ± 4.4, and 6.1 ± 2.0 mmHg at the ankle, calf, and thigh, respectively), or (2) loose-fitting stockings without causing compression (Control). Forearm vascular conductance during heating was evaluated by forearm blood flow (venous occlusion plethysmography) divided by mean arterial pressure to estimate heat-induced cutaneous vasodilation. Body core (esophageal), skin, and mean body temperatures were measured continuously.

Results

Compared to the Control, forearm vascular conductance during heating was higher with graduated compression stockings (e.g., 23.2 ± 5.5 vs. 28.6 ± 5.8 units at 45 min into heating, P = 0.001). In line with this, graduated compression stockings resulted in a greater sensitivity (27.5 ± 8.3 vs. 34.0 ± 9.4 units °C−1, P = 0.02) and peak level (25.5 ± 5.8 vs. 29.7 ± 5.8 units, P = 0.004) of cutaneous vasodilation as evaluated from the relationship between forearm vascular conductance with mean body temperature. In contrast, the mean body temperature threshold for increases in forearm vascular conductance did not differ between the Control and graduated compression stockings (36.5 ± 0.1 vs. 36.5 ± 0.2 °C, P = 0.85).

Conclusions

Our results show that graduated compression associated with the use of stockings augments cutaneous vasodilation by modulating sensitivity and peak level of cutaneous vasodilation in relation to mean body temperature. However, the effect of these changes on whole-body heat loss remains unclear.

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Acknowledgements

This study was supported by the grants from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology in Japan and Japan Society for the Promotion of Science. We thank Takashi Miura of ALCARE Limited (Tokyo, Japan) for his support. We appreciate all volunteers for participating in this study. The current affiliation of N. Fujii is the University of Tsukuba, Institute of Health and Sport Sciences, Tsukuba City, Japan.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Health and Sport Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8574, Japan

    Naoto Fujii, Toshiya Nikawa & Takeshi Nishiyasu

  2. Human and Environmental Physiology Research Unit, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada

    Naoto Fujii & Glen P. Kenny

  3. Faculty of Human Culture and Science, Prefectural University of Hiroshima, Hiroshima, Japan

    Bun Tsuji

  4. Faculty of Human Development, Kobe University, Kobe, Japan

    Narihiko Kondo

Authors
  1. Naoto Fujii
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  2. Toshiya Nikawa
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  3. Bun Tsuji
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  4. Narihiko Kondo
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  5. Glen P. Kenny
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  6. Takeshi Nishiyasu
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Correspondence to Takeshi Nishiyasu.

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Communicated by George Havenith.

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Fujii, N., Nikawa, T., Tsuji, B. et al. Wearing graduated compression stockings augments cutaneous vasodilation in heat-stressed resting humans. Eur J Appl Physiol 117, 921–929 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-017-3581-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-017-3581-5

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