Author(s): COIRO, F., BENINCASA, M.T., COPPOLA, S., SERRA, E., CELENTANO, E., COSTA, C., ALBANO, D., VASTOLA, R., Institution: UNIVERSITY OF SALERNO, Country: ITALY, Abstract-ID: 2696

INTRODUCTION:
Graduated compression garments exert a controlled external pressure gradient and have long been implemented in clinical practice. Their adoption in sport has increased in an effort to enhance performance and facilitate post-exercise recovery; however, evidence for upper-limb applications remains limited. Peripheral muscle oxygen saturation (SmO₂) provides a sensitive, site-specific index of the balance between O₂ delivery and metabolic demand, while post-exercise reoxygenation kinetics offer a non-invasive window into oxidative recovery processes. Owing to anatomical and vascular distinctions between the upper and lower limbs, findings derived from lower-limb investigations may not be readily generalizable to the arm. Accordingly, this study investigated whether graduated compression modulates biceps brachii SmO₂ recovery following brief maximal isometric exercise.
METHODS:
Twenty physically active men took part in a randomized crossover protocol with two sessions separated by 48 hours. Participants performed three maximal bilateral isometric elbow-flexion contractions lasting 10 seconds, maintaining a 90-degree elbow angle against an immovable barbell, interspersed with 180 seconds of passive standing recovery. Two conditions were compared: a graduated compression garment and a visually similar control garment without meaningful compression. Muscle oxygen saturation in the dominant biceps brachii was continuously monitored using near-infrared spectroscopy with a portable sensor (MOXY®, Fortiori Design LLC, Hutchinson, MN, USA), positioned according to standard recommendations. Oxygenation data were normalized to a stable post–warm-up baseline, and the recovery phase was defined as the three-minute period following peak desaturation. Recovery kinetics were quantified using the time required to regain 50% of the desaturation amplitude, the reoxygenation peak above baseline, the initial recovery slope over the first 25 seconds, and the time constant obtained from a mono-exponential model.
RESULTS:
Baseline values showed excellent reliability between conditions (intraclass correlation coefficient 0.917; coefficient of variation 3.12 ± 3.12%). To verify comparable contraction intensity between sessions, desaturation amplitude during contraction was analyzed and did not differ between conditions (75.8 ± 14.9% vs 76.2 ± 16.1%; p = 0.417). Compared with control, compression produced a faster and more pronounced recovery, with a shorter half-recovery time (8.42 ± 2.69 s vs 10.31 ± 2.55 s; p = 0.039), a greater initial recovery slope (2.42 ± 0.69 %/s vs 2.11 ± 0.59 %/s; p = 0.029), a higher peak above baseline (22.40 ± 10.01% vs 8.92 ± 12.49%; p = 0.0024), and a reduced time constant (11.48 ± 5.21 s vs 22.01 ± 9.72 s; p < 0.001).
CONCLUSION:
In summary, graduated compression enhanced multiple indices of post-exercise SmO₂ restoration in the biceps brachii, indicating potential practical utility for recovery in activities characterized by repeated, high-intensity upper-limb efforts.