Acute fatigue, and perceptual responses to resistance exercise

IntroductionDespite assumptions, there is an absence of research on acute fatigue responses to high- and low-load and advanced technique resistance exercise. MethodsTrained males (n=8; age 27.27.4 years, height 180.06.6cm, weight: 86.6 +/- 10.3kg) were assessed for decrement in maximal voluntary isometric torque (MVIT) and perceived effort and discomfort after heavier load (HL; 80% MVIT), lighter load (LL; 30% MVIT), forced repetition (FR), and breakdown set (BD) training protocols. ResultsAnalyses revealed a significant reduction in MVIT (P<0.05) with a significant between-condition effect, and significant post-hoc pairwise comparisons between LL and both HL (P=0.044) and FR (P=0.013). There were no significant between-condition effects for effort or discomfort (P>0.05). DiscussionFatigue as a decrement in force production appears to follow a more complex relationship than simply 100% minus the force requirements of the task relative to a maximal voluntary contraction. Muscle Nerve56: E141-E146, 2017