Enhancement of Tibialis Anterior Recovery by Intermittent Se-quential Pneumatic Compression of the Legs

In this study we examined the effect of Intermittent Sequential Pneumatic Compression (ISPC) of the legs on the recovery of fatigued Tibialis Anterior (TA) muscles. Eight subjects performed 10 min fast walking on a treadmill, followed by 2 min sustained effort of the TA (load A). Immediately afterwards they took 3 min of resting time, during which one leg was treated by ISPC (active recovery) and the opposite one served as a control (passive recovery). A second sustained effort (load B), similar to load A in intensity and duration, followed the recovery period. Surface EMG of the TA was used to monitor muscle fatigue. The results indicate that the mean power frequency (MPF) of the actively recovering TA was significantly higher than that of the passively recovering TA, irrespective of the side on which ISPC was applied. An additional interesting result was the higher MPF in the beginning of load B compared to that of the end of load A. However, this difference was significant in the actively recovering leg, but not so in the passively recovering leg. It was concluded that ISPC treatment of fatigued muscle after a sustained effort improves its contractile capacity in comparison to passive recovery.