Effects of recovery type on blood lactate and performance in repeated Wingate tests in females

Abstract

The optimal type of recovery to maximise performance and regain homeostasis after maximal exercise in sport has mixed results. There is a lack of research on the effect of active recovery protocols between anaerobic bouts in females. To determine if prolonged active recovery is more beneficial for subsequent anaerobic performance than passive recovery by analysing blood lactate and anaerobic performance variables across Wingate tests. Peak power output was determined from an incremental cycle test, and 50% of peak power was used as the intensity for the active recovery trial. 15 min recovery was used between Wingate tests. Blood lactate measurements were collected after the first Wingate, at 5 min increments of the recovery protocol, and after the second Wingate. Blood lactate levels were significantly lower for the active recovery trial at all time points of recovery (P=0.000), but no difference in performance variables existed between the active and passive trials. The lower lactate values and performance might not be as connected as previously thought. However, the lower lactate levels can still be beneficial to recovery after intense exercise and repeated attempts, but there may be no effect of blood lactate clearance on performance when implementing the current recovery protocol. It is possible that a build-up of hydrogen ions decreases muscle cell contractility enough for both recovery types that differences in performance between the two conditions are miniscule and therefore may be negligible when using the current parameters.