Lower Limbs Wearable Sports Garments for Muscle Recovery: An Umbrella Review

Abstract

This review aims to understand the different technologies incorporated into lower limbs wearable smart garments and their impact on post-exercise recovery. Electronic searches were conducted in the PubMed, Web of Science, and Cochrane electronic databases. Eligibility criteria considered meta-analyses that examined the effects of wearable smart garments on physical fitness in healthy male and female adults. Seven meta-analyses were considered in the current umbrella review, indicating small effects on delayed-onset muscle soreness ([0.40–0.43]), rate of perceived exertion (0.20), proprioception (0.49), anaerobic performance (0.27), and sprints ([0.21–0.37]). The included meta-analyses also indicated wearable smart garments have trivial to large effects on muscle strength and power ([0.14–1.63]), creatine kinase ([0.02–0.44]), lactate dehydrogenase (0.52), muscle swelling (0.73), lactate (0.98) and aerobic pathway (0.24), and endurance (0.37), aerobic performance (0.60), and running performance ([0.06–6.10]). Wearing wearable smart garments did not alter the rate of perceived exertion and had a small effect on delayed-onset muscle soreness. Well-fitting wearable smart garments improve comfort and kinesthesia and proprioception and allow a reduction in strength loss and muscle damage after training and power performance following resistance training or eccentric exercise.

Influence of compression garments on proprioception: A systematic review and meta‐analysis

“…41,42 Despite the strong theoretical evidence suggesting that CGs play a significant role in influencing proprioception, there is a lack of consensus in the current body of literature regarding their effectiveness, especially in enhancing joint position sense, that is, the ability to accurately reposition a joint to a predetermined position. 1,43 This lack of agreement primarily stems from variations in findings among individual studies. Some studies have reported a significant enhancement in proprioceptive accuracy when CGs are used, [44][45][46][47][48] while others have found no discernible difference, 41,[49][50][51] and in some cases, even a decline in proprioceptive performance.…”

“…Despite the strong theoretical evidence suggesting that CGs play a significant role in influencing proprioception, there is a lack of consensus in the current body of literature regarding their effectiveness, especially in enhancing joint position sense, that is, the ability to accurately reposition a joint to a predetermined position 1,43 . This lack of agreement primarily stems from variations in findings among individual studies.…”

Acute Recovery after a Fatigue Protocol Using a Recovery Sports Legging: An Experimental Study

“…Besides the basics of recovery, techniques such as electrostimulation, localised heating and compression can also be used as effective recovery tools [5,6]. Electrostimulation is a sequence of stimuli that is provided by electrodes put superficially on the skin [7] and entails applying a series of intermittent stimuli to the superficial skeletal muscles to activate the intramuscular nerve branches and cause visible muscle contractions [8].…”

Using Shear-Wave Elastography to Assess Exercise-Induced Muscle Damage: A Review

“…While some degree of muscle damage and the associated inflammation are considered to be paramount for optimal muscle adaptation [ 3 , 4 ], excessive muscle damage impairs athletic performance and makes further training more difficult [ 5 ]. An abundant body of research exists on mechanisms underlying muscle damage and its manifestations [ 6 ], as well as prevention and treatment strategies [ 7 , 8 , 9 ].…”