Effects of lower leg compression sleeves on muscle strength, elasticity, and architecture following eccentric...

Compression garments are commonly used during exercise to reduce fatigue and enhance performance, yet their effects, particularly in the context of eccentric exercise known to cause muscle damage and strength loss, remain unclear. This study examined the effect of wearing a compression sleeve (CS) on muscle strength following eccentric contraction and its influence on muscle elasticity and architecture.

Seventeen males participated in two identical exercise sessions, with and without CS (control trial [CON]), using a randomized crossover design. Maximum voluntary contraction (MVC) torque, shear modulus, muscle thickness, and fascicle length of the medial gastrocnemius were measured before and after the task. The protocol involved 10 sets of 10 maximal eccentric ankle plantar flexions, with 60 s rest between sets. To assess performance, peak power, total work, and muscle activity were measured and compared across conditions.

For all measured indices, neither main nor interaction effects of CS were statistically significant. MVC torque decreased significantly post-task (Compression: Pre 100.8 ± 20.1 Nm, Post 94.9 ± 20.1 Nm; Control: Pre 100.2 ± 18.1 Nm, Post 90.4 ± 17.1 Nm, p < 0.05). Shear modulus increased and fascicle length decreased significantly (p < 0.05), whereas muscle thickness remained unchanged.

These findings suggest that external compression does not effectively mitigate the decline in muscle strength following eccentric contraction. Moreover, wearing a compression sleeve did not influence muscle elasticity or architecture. However, the absence of adverse effects supports its continued use as a safe strategy, although its performance-enhancing benefits remain inconclusive.