Fatigue remains the primary etiology of exercise-induced muscle damage (EIMD). Compression garments (CGs) can assist post-exercise recovery; therefore, a recent study explored the effects of CGs on muscular efficacy, proprioception, and recovery following exercise-induced muscle fatigue in regularly exercising people.

The study enrolled 12 healthy participants who exercised regularly. Participants had to complete an exercise-induced muscle fatigue test while wearing a randomly assigned lower-body CG or sports pants (SP); and after at least 7 days, they had to repeat the test while wearing the other garment. 

Muscle efficacy, proprioception (displacements of center of pressure/COP, and absolute error), and fatigue recovery (muscle oxygen saturation/SmO2, deoxygenation and reoxygenation rate, and subjective muscle soreness) were the dependent variables. A two-way repeated measure analysis of variance determined the effect of garment type. 

The results were as follows-

o CG use showed to promote muscle efficacy, proprioception in ML displacement of COP, and fatigue recovery, relative to SP use.

o CG use showed Higher deoxygenation and reoxygenation rates than SP use.

o CG use showed a quick return of SmO2 to baseline value after 10 min of rest which was maintained at a high level until after 1 h of rest, while SP use showed an increase in SmO2 with time after fatigue onset.

o CG use showed a quick return of ML displacement of COP to baseline value after 10 min of rest, which subsequently decreased until after 1 hour of rest.

o CG use showed a significantly lower ML displacement after 20 min of rest than SP use. 

Thus, CG use recovered proprioception and SmO2 after 10 min of rest; however, muscle efficacy and soreness recovery need at least 24 h, regardless of CG or SP use.

Hong W-H, Lo S-F, Wu H-C, Chiu M-C (2022) Effects of compression garment on muscular efficacy, proprioception, and recovery after exercise-induced muscle fatigue onset for people who exercise regularly. PLoS ONE 17(2): e0264569. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0264569