Lower Limb Graduated Compression Garments Modulate Autonomic Nervous System and Improve Post-Training Recovery Measured Via Heart Rate Variability

Prior studies have examined the benefits of graduated compression garments (GCG) with regards to diverse exercise regimens; however, the relationship between GCG and the autonomic nervous system (ANS) has not been fully explored. The aim of this study was to examine Heart Rate Variability (HRV) trends-a proxy for ANS modulation-in response to donning GCG during a progressive overload training regimen designed to induce overtraining. Ten college-aged male novice runners were recruited for the 8-week crossover study. After three weeks of monitored free living, participants were randomized and blinded to an intervention group that donned a lower-body GCG during a two-week exercise regimen or a control group that donned a visually identical but non-compressive sham during identical training. No significant difference in HRV was calculated by the natural logarithm of the root mean square of successive RR-interval differences (lnRMSSD) between the 3-week free-living baseline and GCG intervention periods ( = 0.3040). The mean lnRMSSD was greater during the free-living phase and GCG intervention compared to the sham placebo ( < 0.001 and <0.001 respectively). With regard to the daily fluctuation of lnRMSSD, no significant differences were found between free-living and intervention ( = 1.000). Conversely, the intervention period demonstrated reduced daily fluctuation of lnRMSSD relative to the Sham placebo group ( = 0.010). These novel findings posit that post training use of a commercially available graduated compression garment in novice runners may be effective in counteracting some deleterious effects from overtraining while attenuating its effects on vagally-mediated HRV.