Lower-volume muscle-damaging exercise protects against high-volume muscle-damaging exercise and the detrimental effects on endurance performance.

Dean Burt,Kevin Lamb,Craig Twist,Ceri Nicholas

doi:10.1007/s00421-015-3131-y

Abstract

This study examined whether lower-volume exercise-induced muscle damage (EIMD) performed 2 weeks before high-volume muscle-damaging exercise protects against its detrimental effect on running performance. Sixteen male participants were randomly assigned to a lower-volume (five sets of ten squats, n = 8) or high-volume (ten sets of ten squats, n = 8) EIMD group and completed baseline measurements for muscle soreness, knee extensor torque, creatine kinase (CK), a 5-min fixed-intensity running bout and a 3-km running time-trial. Measurements were repeated 24 and 48 h after EIMD, and the running time-trial after 48 h. Two weeks later, both groups repeated the baseline measurements, ten sets of ten squats and the same follow-up testing (Bout 2). Data analysis revealed increases in muscle soreness and CK and decreases in knee extensor torque 24-48 h after the initial bouts of EIMD. Increases in oxygen uptake [Formula: see text], minute ventilation [Formula: see text] and rating of perceived exertion were observed during fixed-intensity running 24-48 h after EIMD Bout 1. Likewise, time increased and speed and [Formula: see text] decreased during a 3-km running time-trial 48 h after EIMD. Symptoms of EIMD, responses during fixed-intensity and running time-trial were attenuated in the days after the repeated bout of high-volume EIMD performed 2 weeks after the initial bout. This study demonstrates that the protective effect of lower-volume EIMD on subsequent high-volume EIMD is transferable to endurance running. Furthermore, time-trial performance was found to be preserved after a repeated bout of EIMD.

Highlights

It is well established that the signs and symptoms of exercise-induced muscle damage (EIMD) are attenuated after a repeated bout of muscle-damaging exercise (McHugh 2003; McHugh et al 1999)
The aims of this study were (i) to investigate if a lower volume muscle-damaging exercise can protect the muscle against the detrimental effects on the physiological, metabolic, kinematic and perceptual responses during fixed-intensity running after subsequent high volume EIMD, and (ii) to examine the effects of repeated bouts of muscle-damaging exercise on running time-trial performance
After a further 48 – 72 h, participants provided baseline measures for perceived muscle soreness, isokinetic peak knee extensor torque, creatine kinase (CK) activity, 5-min fixed-intensity running at lactate turnpoint (LTP), a 3 km running time-trial and either lower or high volume lower limb resistance exercise designed to develop symptoms of EIMD

Summary

Introduction

It is well established that the signs and symptoms of exercise-induced muscle damage (EIMD) are attenuated after a repeated bout of muscle-damaging exercise (McHugh 2003; McHugh et al 1999). Using surface EMG, the authors attributed the ‘repeated bout effect’ (RBE) to a reduction in median freqency They suggested that an increased number of more resilient type I fibres were activated to protect the muscle against damage during the higher volume eccentric exercise. It is not known whether the protective effect of lower volume muscle-damaging exercise performed prior to a high volume of the same exercise preserves running performance. That is to say, where endurance athletes are contemplating concurrent endurance and resistance exercise to improve performance, performing lower volume resistance exercise two weeks before engaging in concurrent training might precondition the muscle to withstand high bouts of muscle-damaging exercise and its subsequent effects on endurance performance

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