Effect of compression stocking on venous compliance at rest and circulatory responses to cycling exercise

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to clarify whether calf and forearm venous compliance was increased by wearing graduated compression stockings (GCS), and whether changed venous compliance with GCS influenced the circulatory responses to submaximal cycling exercise. In ten young healthy subjects (7 men, 3 women; mean age 20.9 ± 0.9 [SD] years), calf and forearm venous volume with or without GCS was measured by venous occlusion plethysmography in subjects in the supine position during inflating a venous collecting cuff placed around the thigh and upper arm to 60 mmHg for 8 min and then decreasing cuff pressure to 0 mmHg at a rate of 1 mmHg/s. Calf and forearm venous compliance was calculated as the numerical derivative of the cuff pressure and venous volume curve. In addition, venous capacitance and maximal venous outflow was also determined from the changes in venous volume during inflation and deflation of cuff pressure. In main experiments, subjects performed cycling exercise at 30％ and 60％ of heart rate reserve (HRR) for 5 min and then had a recovery period of 5 min. Cycling exercise was carried out while wearing either GCS or no stockings (Control: CON) on separate days. Wearing GCS caused increases in venous compliance, venous capacitance, and maximal venous outflow in the calf, but did not change these venous properties in the forearm. Circulatory responses (HR and blood pressure) to cycling exercise at both intensities did not differ between CON and GCS. These results suggest that wearing GCS had a significant increase in the venous calf compliance but not in the arm compliance, and that the increased calf compliance during wearing GCS had no significant influence on the circulatory responses during cycling exercise in healthy young people.