Compression Garment-induced Leg Changes Increase Hemodynamic Responses in Healthy Individuals

Abstract This study evaluated the morphological changes of the lower limb and associated hemodynamic responses to different lower-body compression pressures (COMPs) in physically active, healthy individuals at rest. Each of the 32 participants underwent three trials with three different degrees of lower-body compression applied: “Low” (2.2±1.4 mmHg), “Medium” (12.9±3.9 mmHg), and “High” (28.8±8.3 mmHg). In each COMP, a cross-sectional area of leg muscles (CSA muscle ), subcutaneous fat (CSA fat ), superficial vessels (SupV), deep arteries (DA), and deep veins (DV) at the calf, knee, and thigh levels were measured using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Additionally, blood pressure (BP), heart rate (HR), cardiac output (CO), stroke volume (SV), and systemic vascular resistance (SVR) were measured using Doppler ultrasound (USCOM ® ). With High COMP, calf CSA muscle and SupV were smaller (p