Effect of compression pants on EEG spectrum

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the effects of wearing compression pants of varying pressure levels on the wearer’s attention/concentration to investigate the appropriate level of compression for sport performance and confirm whether this methodology is feasible as a means of evaluating sportswear functionality.

Design/methodology/approach

After wearing compression pants of varying compression levels, spontaneous potentials were analyzed by calculating the spontaneous electroencephalography (EEG) indices: relative low beta (RLB) power spectrum ((12~15 Hz)/(4~50 Hz)), relative mid beta (RMB) power spectrum ((15~20 Hz)/(4~50 Hz)), and ratio of sensory motor rhythm to theta waves ((12~15 Hz)/(4~8 Hz)). The activation of brain waves was mapped and visualized from EEG data using BioScan-Map (BioBrain Inc., Daejeon, Korea).

Findings

The influence of pressure levels on brain waves was confirmed: RLB power, RMB power and RST varied by experimental clothing. CP3, the compression pants that applied moderate pressure (1.57±0.41 kPa), was associated with a relatively higher level of attention/concentration – i.e., the results confirmed that sports compression pants that apply approximately 1.0~2.0 kPa to the area between the thighs and shins are improve attention/concentration. It was further confirmed that EEG is a useful tool for evaluating the psychophysiological effects of functional apparel.

Originality/value

Unlike preceding studies that considered only alpha waves and the effects of clothing on comfort, this study investigated the influence of compression garments on attention/concentration.

Citation

Lee, H., Kim, K. and Lee, Y. (2020), "Effect of compression pants on EEG spectrum", International Journal of Clothing Science and Technology, Vol. 32 No. 2, pp. 197-207. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJCST-03-2019-0031