Compressive Pantyhose Mitigates Muscle Fatigue in Ballet-Specific Test: A Pilot Study

Compression garments, utilized in sports and exercise for performance enhancement and recovery, lack sufficient well-controlled studies to overcome any potential placebo effect. Therefore, we tested whether wearing compressive pantyhose (CP) during the Ballet-specific aerobic fitness test (BAFT) would influence performance, recovery, physiological, and perceptual indicators. Additionally, this pilot study tested the feasibility of the research procedures and informed adjustments for the main study. Nine young classical ballerinas attended two sessions on different days: a) wearing CP (pressure of 20-30 mmHg) or b) wearing a placebo pantyhose ([PLA] no compression, containing an illusory effect) during the BAFT. We assessed heart rate (HR) and rating of perceived exertion (RPE) during the BAFT, perceived recovery (PRS), lower-limb delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) at Pre and 24 h Post, and standing heel-rise test performance at Pre, 30 min, and 24 h Post. No variables differed (p>0.05) between CP and PLA (e.g., HR mean over 5 BAFT phases: 178±14 bpm vs. 179±17 bpm, p=0.63; RPE 30 min post: 9.1±0.8 vs. 9.1±0.8 arbitrary units, p=0.94). However, wearing CP promoted attenuation in acute fatigue, while PLA showed a performance decrement (p<0.05) 30 min Post in the standing heel-rise test: CP 30.2±6.0 to 22.8±7.5 repetitions and PLA 36.2±11.7 to 22.9±6.3 repetitions. We conclude that CP may mitigate acute fatigue in the triceps surae muscle of amateur classical ballet dancers, making it relevant for their acute recovery, particularly in cases involving multiple daily performances. Additionally, this pilot study confirmed the feasibility of the procedures.