Investigating the Use of an Intermittent Sequential Pneumatic Compression Arm Sleeve for Recovery After Upper-Body...

Cranston, AW and Driller, MW. Investigating the use of an intermittent sequential pneumatic compression arm sleeve for recovery after upper-body exercise. J Strength Cond Res 36(6): 1548-1553, 2022-The current study aimed to investigate the efficacy of an intermittent sequential pneumatic compression (ISPC) device placed on the arm after a fatiguing upper-body exercise circuit. Fifty resistance-trained athletes (37 males/13 females, mean ± SD; age = 27 ± 4 years) performed 3 physical performance tests (grip strength dynamometer, single-arm medicine ball throw, and preacher bench bicep curls to failure) before and after exercise, following a 30-minute recovery period. During the recovery period, subjects were randomly assigned an experimental arm, which was placed in the ISPC device, and a control arm (no device). Subjects completed a perceptual muscle soreness rating through palpation of 4 muscle groups in the upper body at the same time points and also 24 hours after recovery. There was a statistically significant interaction between conditions for the single-arm medicine ball throw (p < 0.01) in favor of the ISPC after the recovery period; however, the effect size was deemed trivial. There was a small but not statistically significant effect (d = 0.22, p > 0.05) for the bicep curls in favor of the ISPC and no significant difference for the grip strength (d = 0.09, p > 0.05). The perceptual muscle soreness scales resulted in significant differences between conditions immediately after and 24 hours after exercise across all muscle groups (p < 0.05), all in favor of the ISPC condition. This study supports the use of an upper-body ISPC device to reduce perceived muscle soreness for up to 24 hours after exercise, with negligible effects on physical performance when compared with a control trial.