The Effects of Compression Garments on Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness and Subsequent Vertical Jump Height/Muscular Force Production

Matthew L. Carson, Adam D. Kornder, Cassidy R. Penney, and Nicole Wrona

Introduction Results
- Delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) is characterized by pain or soreness Average Muscular Force Average Vertical Jump Height
around the muscle that occurs a day or two following exercise. DOMS is often the Production
result of microtears within the muscle, that are essentially damage to the structure of 16.5

Jump Height (in)

myofibrils caused by exercise (Valle et al., 2013). 380 16

Force (N)
- Wearing compression garments during exercise reduces the magnitude of damage 360 15.5
to the muscle (Valle et al., 2013).
- Muscular strength recovery occurs when wearing compression garments for 24 340 15
hours following exercise (Goto & Morishima, 2014). 320 14.5
- It is unknown whether wearing compression garments just during exercise 300 14
influences muscular force production 24 hours post. Control No Compression Control No Compression
Compression Compression
Purpose & Hypothesis Figure 3. Comparison between the averages of participants’ force production Figure 4. Comparison between the averages of participants’ maximal vertical
(N) on their maximal vertical jump during three conditions. jump height (in) during three conditions.
Purpose: to determine the effectiveness that wearing compression garments during
exercise has on delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) and subsequent vertical jump
height and muscular force production.
Percent Difference in Muscular Percent Difference in Vertical Jump
Force Production Height
Hypothesis: We hypothesized based on our physiological rationale that wearing
compression garments during exercise will reduce DOMS, improving subsequent vertical 15 10

Difference (%)
Difference (%)
jump height and muscular force production.
10 5
Methods
5
Participants: 3 males and 1 female, mean age of 23.5 years, mean body weight of 78.8 kg, 0
mean height of 175 cm. 0
Control vs No Control vs -5
Inclusion Criteria: Healthy, able bodied, Douglas College Students in Advanced Exercise Compression Compression Control vs No Compression Control vs Compression
Physiology (SPSC 3275). Figure 6. The percent differences between control values and the averages of
Figure 5. The percent differences between control values and the averages of
participants’ muscular force production during two conditions. participants’ maximal vertical jump height during two conditions.
Experimental Design:
- All participants attended on 5 occasions (see Figure 1).
Conclusion & Implications References
Method of Analysis: Goto, K. & Morishima, T.
- Our findings are not significant enough to support our hypothesis (2014). Compression Garment
- For each testing day participants completed three maximal vertical jump (VJ) attempts. Promotes Muscular Strength

- Participants’ highest VJ from each testing day was taken and compared to their highest VJ that wearing compression garments during exercise will reduce Recovery after Resistance
Exercise. Medicine & Science in
DOMS, improving subsequent vertical jump height and muscular Sport & Exercise, 46(12), 2265-
from other days (see Figure 4). 2270. DOI:

- Participants’ highest VJ from each testing day was taken and used to calculate force force production. 10.1249/MSS.0000000000000359.

production (see Figure 3). - This is primarily due to the following factors: small sample size, Valle, X., Til, L., Drobnic, F.,
Turmo, A., Montoro, J. B., Valero,
did not induce DOMS in all participants, and possibility of O., & Artells, R. (2013).
Compression garments to prevent
intervening strenuous activity that occurred during the study. delayed onset muscle soreness in
soccer players. Muscles,
- Implications can be used to guide future research that may wish Ligaments & Tendons Journal
(MLTJ), 3(4), 295–302. Retrieved
to look into this further with a larger sample size and a stricter from https://0-search-ebscohost-
com.orca.douglascollege.ca/login.
protocol. aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=94
708059&site=ehost-
- Results that matched our hypothesis were seen in one live&scope=site

participant, suggesting that wearing compression has potential

value. However we are unable to establish statistical significance.
Figure 1. Experimental design. Figure 2. Workout protocol.