Effect of pressure intensity of graduated elastic compression stocking on muscle fatigue following calf-raise exercise

The purpose of the present study was to examine the effects of wearing a graduated elastic compression (EC) stocking, with different pressure profiles during a fatiguing calf-raise exercise session, on the torque generating capacity after exercise. Fourteen subjects performed 15 sets of 10 repetitions of calf-raise exercise, wearing one of three stockings of different compression pressure profiles: two kinds of EC stockings (one (EC30) with 30 mm Hg at the ankle, 21–25 mm Hg at the calf, and 10 mm Hg below the knee, and the other (EC18) with 18, 12–14, and 7 mm Hg at the same regions, respectively) and a non-EC sport stocking as a control (CON). Before and after the exercise, torque and electromyographic (EMG) signals of medial gastrocnemius and soleus muscles were recorded during an evoked triplet contraction and the maximal voluntary contraction (MVC). All stockings had no effect on the decline of the MVC torque whereas the reduction of the evoke triplet torque in EC30 stocking condition was significantly smaller compared with that in CON (−6.4 ± 8.5% for EC30 and −16.5 ± 9.0% for CON, P < 0.05). The reduction of the mean power frequency of EMG during MVC in the EC30 condition was significantly smaller than that in CON (−4.4 ± 10.9 Hz for EC30 and −18.7 ± 7.9 Hz for CON, P < 0.05). These results suggest that the EC stocking with adequate pressure at the calf region relieves muscle fatigue of the triceps surae induced by calf-raise exercise.