Effects of External Compression on Isokinetic Muscular Endurance of the Quadriceps and Hamstring Muscle Groups

The purpose of this study was to determine whether external compression would cause a decrease in the isokinetic muscular endurance of the quadriceps and hamstring muscle groups. Subjects were tested on the Cybex II dynamometer (Cybex, Ronkonkoma, NY) under two conditions: with external compression applied to the thigh and without external compression applied to the thigh. External compression was applied with a lower extremity blood pressure cuff inflated to a predetermined clinically standardized pressure. The subjects performed an isokinetic endurance test consisting of 30 maximal repetitions at 180 deg/sec under both conditions. A paired t test showed no statistical differences (p > 0.05) between the mean total work, work over the first five repetitions, and work over the last five repetitions between the two conditions for the quadriceps and the hamstring muscle groups. Results indicated that external compression applied to the thigh at 30 mm Hg caused no significant decrease in the isokinetic muscular endurance of the quadriceps or hamstrings. Further research is indicated to determine whether external compression could influence other aspects of muscular performance.