Abstract
ABSTRACT Introduction: Ischemic preconditioning (IPC) has been described in the literature as a resource capable of improving physical performance. Objective: The purpose of this randomized double-blind study was to evaluate the influence of IPC on the neuromuscular performance of trained individuals. Methods: Twenty-four (24) resistance training participants (6 of them women) with a mean age of 25.8 ± 4.6 years were selected and divided into two groups: the upper limb group (ULG) composed of 12 individuals (4 women) and the lower limb group (LLG) composed of 12 individuals (2 women). The maximum repetitions test was applied in the bench press for the ULG and in the 45° leg press for the LLG, with 50% of the one-repetition maximum under control, placebo and IPC conditions, at a random interval of 72 hours between tests. The IPC was applied four hours before the tests by means of an analog sphygmomanometer cuff inflated to 220 mmHg on the arm for the ULG and on the thigh for LLG, with three cycles of five minutes each of ischemia and reperfusion, alternating between the right and left sides. For the placebo, the cuff was inflated to 40 mmHg without causing ischemia. The significance level for the Wilcoxon test was p <0.017, due to the Bonferroni correction. The effect size (ES) was also analyzed. Results: With IPC, the ULG performed 34.8 ± 4.8 repetitions, representing an improvement of 11.29% (IPC vs. control, ES = 0.68 and p = 0.002) and the LLG performed 40.5 ± 15.7 repetitions, representing an improvement of 37.47% (IPC vs. control, ES = 0.84 and p = 0.002). No significant improvements were observed for the placebo in either group. Conclusion: Our data showed that IPC positively influenced neuromuscular performance of both the upper and lower limbs. Level of evidence II; Therapeutic studies investigating the results of treatment (Prospectived comparative studye).
Highlights
Ischemic preconditioning (IPC) has been described in the literature as a resource capable of improving physical performance
The Friedman test showed a difference in the comparison between the control, placebo and IPC for both the upper limb group (ULG) and the lower limb group (LLG) (p < 0.001)
Our results showed that there was no placebo effect, as in both the ULG and the LLG improved performance was only observed when the cuff pressure was sufficient to cause ischemia (220 mmHg), that is, in the real IPC intervention
Summary
Ischemic preconditioning (IPC) has been described in the literature as a resource capable of improving physical performance. Characterized by brief periods of ischemia followed by blood reperfusion applied to one or more body segments, mainly the arm or thigh, IPC was initially described in the literature as a technique for preventing myocardial injuries.[4,5,6] Two decades ago, IPC began to be investigated as a strategy to improve sports performance.[7] Previous studies showed that IPC promoted an increase in oxygen consumption and strength production after a maximum incremental test in trained cyclists.[8] The positive effects of IPC on the performance of highly-trained swimmers,[9] as well as in runners,[10,11] were observed. There are data in the literature showing that IPC has no significant influence on running performance.[12,13,14] Interestingly, after amateur cyclists performed Wingate test, the IPC had a detrimental effect on performance, decreasing the total anaerobic power of the individuals,[15] and in swimming, 2 and 24 hours after administration of IPC, no changes in performance were observed in either the 100 or 200 meter swims.[16]
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