Aim:

To investigate the neuromuscular fatigue and recovery after an intermittent isometric handgrip exercise (IIHE) executed until failure with different blood flow restriction (BFR) conditions (free flow, partial and total vascular restriction).

Methods:

Thirteen healthy men carried out an IIHE at 45% of maximum voluntary isometric force (MVIF) until failure with total restriction (TR), partial restriction (PR) or free flow (FF). The rate of force development (RFD) was extracted from the MIVF over the time intervals of 0-30, 0-50, 0-100, and 0-200ms and normalized by MVIF [relative RFD (RFDr)].

Results:

The RFDr decreased significantly (p<0.01) after the IIHE in all BFR conditions and time intervals studied, remaining lower for five minutes. The medians of the RFDr in FF condition were significantly lower (p=0.01) at 30ms (1.56 %MVIF·s-1) and 50ms (1.70 %MVIF·s-1) when compared to TR at 30ms (2.34 %MVIF·s-1) and 50ms (2.63 %MVIF·s-1) in minute 1 post failure.

Conclusions:

These results show that, regardless of the blood flow restriction level, there is no RFD recovery five minutes after an exhaustive IIHE. When the task was executed with FF, the reduction of the RFD was greater when compared with the TR condition.(AU)