Prior heavy exercise enhances performance during subsequent perimaximal exercise

Jones, Andrew M., Wilkerson, Daryl P., Burnley, Mark and Koppo, Katrien (2003) Prior heavy exercise enhances performance during subsequent perimaximal exercise. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 35 (12). pp. 2085-2092. ISSN 0195-9131

File not available for download.

Abstract

Purpose: To test the hypothesis that prior heavy exercise increases the time to exhaustion during subsequent perimaximal exercise. Methods: Seven healthy males (mean +/- SD 27 +/- 3 yr; 78.4 +/- 0.7 kg) completed square-wave transitions from unloaded cycling to work rates equivalent to 100, 110, and 120% of the work rate at [latin capital V with dot above]O2peak (W-[latin capital V with dot above]O2peak) after no prior exercise (control, C) and 10 min after a 6-min bout of heavy exercise at 50% Δ (HE; half-way between the gas exchange threshold (GET) and [latin capital V with dot above]O2peak), in a counterbalanced design. Results: Blood [lactate] was significantly elevated before the onset of the perimaximal exercise bouts after prior HE (2.5 vs 1.1 mM; P < 0.05). Prior HE increased time to exhaustion at 100% (mean +/- SEM. C: 386 +/- 92 vs HE: 613 +/- 161 s), 110% (C: 218 +/- 26 vs HE: 284 +/- 47 s), and 120% (C: 139 +/- 18 vs HE: 180 +/- 29 s) of W-[latin capital V with dot above]O2peak, (all P < 0.01). [latin capital V with dot above]O2 was significantly higher at 1 min into exercise after prior HE at 110% W-[latin capital V with dot above]O2peak (C: 3.11 +/- 0.14 vs HE: 3.42 +/- 0.16 L[middle dot]min-1; P < 0.05), and at 1 min into exercise (C: 3.25 +/- 0.12 vs HE: 3.67 +/- 0.15; P < 0.01) and at exhaustion (C: 3.60 +/- 0.08 vs HE: 3.95 +/- 0.12 L[middle dot]min-1; P < 0.01) at 120% of W-[latin capital V with dot above]O2peak. Conclusions: This study demonstrate that prior HE, which caused a significant elevation of blood [lactate], resulted in an increased time to exhaustion during subsequent perimaximal exercise presumably by enabling a greater aerobic contribution to the energy requirement of exercise.