EFFECTS OF ACTIVE RECOVERY ON PLASMA LACTATE AND ANAEROBIC POWER FOLLOWING REPEATED INTENSIVE EXERCISE

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of active rec overy (AR) on plasma lactate concentration [La] and anaerobic power ou tput as measured during repeated bouts of intense exercise (6 s) again st increasing braking forces. Ten male subjects performed two randomly assigned exercise trials: one with a 5-min passive recovery (PR) afte r each exercise bout and one with a 5-min active recovery (AR) at a wo rkload corresponding to 32% of maximal aerobic power. Blood samples we re taken at rest, at the end of each exercise bout (S1) and at the 5th minute between bout-recovery (S2) for plasma lactate assay. During th e tests, [La](S1) was not significantly different after AR and PR, but [La](S2) was significantly lower after AR for power outputs obtained at braking forces of 6 kg (5.66 +/- 0.38 vs 7.56 +/- 0.51 mmol.l(-1)) and peak anaerobic power (PAnP) (6.73 +/- 0.61 vs 8.54 +/- 0.89 mmol.l (-1)). Power outputs obtained at 2 and 4 kg did not differ after AR an d PR. However, when compared with PR, AR induced a significant increas e in both power outputs at 6 kg (842 +/- 35 vs 798 +/- 33 W) and PAnP (945 +/- 56 vs 883 +/- 58 W). These results showed that AR between bou ts of intensive exercise decreased blood lactate concentration at high braking forces. This decrease was accompanied by higher anaerobic pow er outputs at these forces.