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Hyperventilation-induced respiratory alkalosis falls short of countering fatigue during repeated maximal isokinetic contractions

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Abstract

Purpose

Hyperventilation, implemented during recovery of repeated maximal sprints, has been shown to attenuate performance decrement. This study evaluated the effects of hyperventilation, using strength exercises, on muscle torque output and EMG amplitude.

Methods

Fifteen power-trained athletes underwent maximal isokinetic knee extensions consisting of 12 repetitions × 8 sets at 60°/s and 25 repetitions × 8 sets at 300°/s. The inter-set interval was 40 s for both speeds. For the control condition, subjects breathed spontaneously during the interval period. For the hyperventilation condition, subjects hyperventilated for 30 s before each exercise set (50 breaths/min, PETCO2: 20–25 mmHg). EMG was recorded from the vastus medialis and lateralis muscles to calculate the mean amplitude for each contraction.

Results

Hyperventilation increased blood pH by 0.065–0.081 and lowered PCO2 by 8.3–10.3 mmHg from the control values (P < 0.001). Peak torque declined with repetition and set numbers for both speeds (P < 0.001), but the declining patterns were similar between conditions. A significant, but small enhancement in peak torque was observed with hyperventilation at 60°/s during the initial repetition phase of the first (P = 0.032) and fourth sets (P = 0.040). EMG amplitude also declined with set number (P < 0.001) for both speeds and muscles, which was, however, not attenuated by hyperventilation.

Conclusion

Despite a minor ergogenic effect in peak torque at 60°/s, hyperventilation was not effective in attenuating the decrement in torque output at 300°/s and decrement in EMG amplitude at both speeds during repeated sets of maximal isokinetic knee extensions.

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Abbreviations

AMPnorm :

Normalized EMG amplitude

ANOVA:

Analysis of variance

EMG:

Electromyography/electromyogram

[La−]:

Blood lactate concentration

NaHCO3 :

Sodium bicarbonate

PCO2 :

Partial pressure of carbon dioxide (blood)

PCr:

Creatine phosphate

PETCO2 :

End-tidal partial pressure of carbon dioxide (expired air)

RR:

Respiratory rate

\( {\dot{V}}E \) :

Minute ventilation

VL:

Vastus lateralis muscle

VM:

Vastus medialis muscle

VT:

Expired tidal volume

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Acknowledgments

This study was supported by Juntendo University, Institute of Health and Sports Science and Medicine (k1212), and by JSPS KAKENHI Grant Number 25750333. We would like to thank all the subjects for their participation and effort. We also thank the laboratory members at Juntendo University, Graduate School of Health and Sports Science for their assistance in data collection.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Health and Sports Science and Medicine, Juntendo University, 1-1 Hiraga-gakuendai, Inzai, Chiba, 270-1695, Japan

    Akihiro Sakamoto & Hisashi Naito

  2. Discipline of Exercise and Sport Science, Faculty of Health Sciences, The University of Sydney, 75 East Street, Lidcombe, NSW, 2141, Australia

    Chin Moi Chow

Authors
  1. Akihiro Sakamoto
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  2. Hisashi Naito
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  3. Chin Moi Chow
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Akihiro Sakamoto.

Additional information

Communicated by William J. Kraemer.

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Sakamoto, A., Naito, H. & Chow, C.M. Hyperventilation-induced respiratory alkalosis falls short of countering fatigue during repeated maximal isokinetic contractions. Eur J Appl Physiol 115, 1453–1465 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-015-3134-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-015-3134-8

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