Relationship between maximal oxygen uptake, within-set fatigue and between-set recovery during resistance exercise in resistance-trained men and women.

BACKGROUND: The primary aim of this study was to examine the relationship between maximal oxygen update (V̇O2max) and within-set fatigue and between-set recovery during resistance exercise in men and women. METHODS: We examined the relationship between V̇O2max and various indices of fatigue and recovery during parallel squats (3 sets, 90 s rest, 70% of 1RM to failure) and isokinetic knee extensions (3 × 10 maximal repetitions at 60 deg/s, 45 s rest) in 28 (age 27.0 ± 3.6 years) resistance-trained subjects (14 men and 14 women). We also examined whether there were sex differences in within-set fatigue and between-set recovery. RESULTS: V̇O2max was weakly related to recovery and fatigue in both men and women (range of P-values for V̇O2max as a covariate; 0.312-0.998, range of R-values, 0.005-0.604). There were no differences between the sexes in fatigue within a set for the squat, but men showed less within-set fatigue than women in the first set of the isokinetic knee extension exercise (~ 8% torque loss difference, main effect of sex P = 0.034). Regarding recovery between sets, men showed greater relative peak power (P = 0.016) and peak torque (P = 0.034) loss between sets in both exercises, respectively, compared to women. Women also tended to complete more repetitions than men (main effect of sex, P = 0.057). Loss of peak torque between sets in knee extension was evident in both absolute and relative (%) values in men but not in women. CONCLUSIONS: Our study suggests that aerobic capacity is weakly associated with within-set fatigue and between-set recovery in resistance training in both men and women. Women and men show comparable levels of within-set fatigue in the multi-joint squat, but women show more within-set fatigue during the single-joint isokinetic knee extension compared with men. In contrast, women recover better than men between sets in both exercises.

Physiological and performance effects of nitrate supplementation during roller-skiing in normoxia and normobaric hypoxia.

The present study examined the effects of acute nitrate (NO3-) supplementation ingested in the form of concentrated beetroot juice on cross-country roller-ski performance in normoxia (N) and normobaric hypoxia (H). Eight competitive cross-country skiers (five males: age 22 ± 3 years, V·O2max 71.5 ± 4.7 mL kg-1·min-1; three females: age 21 ± 1 years, V·O2max 58.4 ± 2.5 mL kg-1·min-1) were supplemented with a single dose of NO3--rich beetroot juice (BRJ, ∼13 mmol NO3-) or a NO3--depleted placebo (PL, ∼0 mmol NO3-) and performed 2 x 6-min submaximal exercise bouts and a 1000-m time-trial (TT) on a treadmill in N (20.9% O2) or H (16.8% O2). The four experimental trials were presented in a randomised, counter-balanced order. Plasma NO3- and nitrite concentrations were significantly higher following BRJ compared to PL (both p < 0.001). However, respiratory variables, heart rate, blood lactate concentration, ratings of perceived exertion, and near-infrared spectroscopy-derived measures of muscle tissue oxygenation during submaximal exercise were not significantly different between BRJ and PL (all p > 0.05). Likewise, time to complete the TT was unaffected by supplementation in both N and H (p > 0.05). In conclusion, an acute dose of ∼13 mmol NO3- does not affect physiological or performance responses to submaximal or maximal treadmill roller-skiing in competitive cross-country skiers exercising in N and H.