The effect of post-exercise application of either graduated or uniform compression socks on the mitigation of delayed onset muscle soreness

A series of studies were conducted to test the hypothesis that compression socks (uniform or graduated compression) worn after exercise mitigate exercise-induced pain. Fifty-nine (59) participants took part in three separate exercise protocols to induce a degree of muscle soreness from low to severe. Participants wore either ankle height socks with no compression (NoCo), knee height socks with uniform (UNI) or graduated compression (GRAD) for 8 h/day following exercise. Before, immediately after and during recovery, we measured muscle strength, flexibility and the perception of pain. The three exercise protocols were as follows. (1) Hike: compared the effects of GRAD and NoCo socks following a 10-km treadmill hike with a 1000 m ascent and descent. (2) Trail Run: compared the effect of GRAD and UNI following a 14-km trail run with 250 m ascent and descent. (3) Calf Exercise: compared the effect of GRAD and UNI socks with a predominately eccentric calf exercise. GRAD socks significantly mitigated the perception of calf pain compared to NoCo (Hike). The UNI socks were superior to the GRAD socks in mitigating the perception of pain during recovery in the Trail Run. No statistical difference was noted between UNI and GRAD socks after the Calf Exercise. Compression socks mitigated the perception of calf muscle pain (Hike trial), with UNI providing more benefit compared to GRAD socks (Trail Run trial). No differences between the UNI and GRAD socks were observed in the Calf Exercise trial. Compression socks aid in the perception of recovery following low to moderate pain from delayed onset muscle soreness.

Influence of central command and muscle afferent activation on anterior cerebral artery blood velocity responses to calf exercise in humans

The purpose of the present study was to determine the relative importance of peripheral feedback from mechanically (mechanoreflex) and metabolically (metaboreflex) sensitive muscle afferents and central signals arising from higher centers (central command) to the exercise-induced increases in regional cerebral perfusion. To accomplish this, anterior cerebral artery (ACA) mean blood velocity ( Vmean) responses were assessed during sustained and rhythmic passive calf muscle stretch (mechanoreflex), volitional calf exercise (mechanoreflex, metaboreflex, and central command), and electrically stimulated calf exercise (mechanoreflex and metaboreflex but no central command) at 35% of maximum voluntary contraction ( n = 16). In addition, a period of postexercise muscle ischemia (PEMI) was used to isolate the metaboreflex. Blood pressure, cardiac output, and the end-tidal partial pressure of carbon dioxide (PetCO2) were also measured. ACA Vmean was unchanged from rest during either sustained or rhythmic calf muscle stretch ( P > 0.05). However, ACA Vmean was increased from rest during both isometric (+15 ± 1%) and rhythmic (+15 ± 2%, voluntary exercise P < 0.05) but remained unchanged during stimulated exercise ( P > 0.05). Isometric and rhythmic exercise-induced increases in blood pressure and cardiac output were similar during voluntary and stimulated exercise ( P > 0.05 between conditions). Blood pressure remained elevated during PEMI after all exercise conditions ( P < 0.05 vs. rest), whereas cardiac output and ACA Vmean were not different from rest ( P > 0.05). PetCO2 was unchanged from rest throughout. These data suggest that selective activation of skeletal muscle afferents (i.e., stretch, PEMI, or stimulated exercise) does not increase ACA Vmean and that increases in ACA Vmean during volitional contractions of an exercising calf muscle are dependent on the presence of central command.