Effect of far-infrared basketball arm guard on muscle fatigue under different pressures

Existing researches on sports arm sleeves predominantly focus on the singular effect of compression in alleviating muscle fatigue, with limited integration of far-infrared radiation (FIR) technology investigated. In this study, sports arm sleeves were knitted using graphene-nylon composite fiber and nylon yarn, with far-infrared fiber contents (mass fraction, the same hereafter) of 0%, 25%, 50%, and 75%. Their effects on reducing muscle fatigue in the arm were evaluated under three pressure levels. Muscle fatigue was assessed using the root mean square (RMS) and median frequency (MF) of electromyographic signals, as well as subjective fatigue scores. The results indicate that FIR-integrated sleeves effectively reduce muscle fatigue after exercise, with the effect increasing as FIR fiber content rises, peaking at 75% content. At the same FIR contents, medium- and high-compression sleeves are more effective in alleviating muscle fatigue, particularly in the brachioradialis and flexor carpi radialis muscles. This may be attributed to the sequence of muscle activation and involvement degree during exercise.