The Effects of Exercise Training in a Novel Full-Body Compression Garment on Anaerobic Performance in Healthy Men

Abstract

Although acutely donning compression garments improves several markers of athletic performance, the effects of training in compression garments remains largely unexplored. Thus, this study aimed to determine the effects of exercise training while donning a novel full-body compression garment on multiple measures of anaerobic performance. Sixteen sedentary males (age: 21±3 y; BMI: 25±3 kg/m²) completed 4 weeks of training with (CG; n=8) or without (CON; n=8) a novel full-body compression garment. Subjects performed a 40m sprint (time and velocity), a 5-repetition maximum barbell back squat (barbell weight and serratus anterior activity), a countermovement vertical jump (VJ; displacement, force, power, velocity, and acceleration), and a Wingate Anaerobic Test (WAnT; peak power, mean power, and fatigue index) before (PRE) and after (POST) training. Data are presented as mean ± SD changes from PRE and were analyzed via two-way repeated measures ANOVAs. CG showed a significant increase when compared to CON for the change in sprint velocity (-0.68±0.26 m/s, P = 0.014), VJ velocity (+0.15±0.07 m/s, P = 0.033), WAnT relative peak power (+0.88±0.49 W/kg P = 0.018), WAnT absolute mean power (+62.37±52.11 W, P = 0.006), and WAnT relative mean power (+0.83±0.53 W/kg, P = 0.004). While there were statistically significant improvements from PRE to POST in other measures, only the aforementioned five variables demonstrated intergroup significance. Overall, donning this novel full-body compression garment during training led to enhanced performance in specific anaerobic measures when compared to not training in the garment.

Keywords: Anaerobic power; Wingate Anaerobic Test; anti-gravity kinetic chain; axial loading; core muscle activation.