Cardiovascular Effects of Compression Garments During Uncompensable Heat Stress

Bautz, J, Hostler, D, Khorana, P, and Suyama, J. Cardiovascular effects of compression garments during uncompensable heat stress. J Strength Cond Res 35(4): 1058-1065, 2021-This study examined the potential hemodynamic benefits of wearing lower extremity compression garments (CGs) beneath thermal protective clothing (TPC) worn by wildland firefighters, while exercising in a heated environment. Using in a counterbalanced design, 10 male subjects ([mean ± SD] age 27 ± 6 years, height 1.78 ± 0.09 m, body mass 74.8 ± 7.0 kg, body fat 10.6 ± 4.2%, and V̇o2max 57.8 ± 9.3 ml·kg-1·min-1) completed control (no CG) and experimental (CG) conditions in randomly assigned order. Protocols were separated by a minimum of 3 days. Subjects exercised for 90 minutes (three, 30-minute segments) on a treadmill while wearing wilderness firefighter TPC and helmet in a heated room. Venous blood was drawn before and after exercise to measure hemoglobin (Hgb), hematocrit (Hct), serum osmolarity (OSM), and serum creatine phosphokinase (CPK). Vital signs and perceptual measures of exertion and thermal comfort were recorded during the protocol. Data were analyzed by the paired t-test. There were no differences in the change in heart rate (84 ± 27 vs. 85 ± 14 b·min-1, p = 0.9), core temperature rise (1.8 ± 0.6 vs. 1.9 ± 0.5° C, p = 0.39), or body mass lost (-1.72 ± 0.78 vs. -1.77 ± 0.58 kg, p = 0.7) between the conditions. There were no differences in the change in Hgb (0.49 ± 0.66 vs. 0.33 ± 1.11 g·dl-1, p = 0.7), Hct (1.22 ± 1.92 vs. 1.11 ± 3.62%, p = 0.9), OSM (1.67 ± 6.34 vs. 6.22 ± 11.39 mOsm·kg-1, p = 0.3), or CPK (22.2 ± 30.2 vs. 29.8 ± 19.4 IU·L-1, p = 0.5). Total distance walked (3.9 ± 0.5 vs. 4.0 ± 0.5 miles, p = 0.2), exercise interval (88.6 ± 3.5 vs. 88.4 ± 3.6 minutes, p = 0.8), and perceptual measures were similar between conditions. Compression garments worn beneath TPC did not acutely alter the physiologic response to exertion in TPC. With greater use in the general public related to endurance activities, the data neither encourage nor discourage CG use during uncompensable heat stress.