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Effect of alcohol after muscle-damaging resistance exercise on muscular performance recovery and inflammatory capacity in women

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Abstract

Purpose

To investigate the effect of acute alcohol consumption on muscular performance recovery, assessed by maximal torque production, and on inflammatory capacity, assessed by lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated cytokine production, following muscle-damaging resistance exercise in women.

Methods

Thirteen recreationally resistance-trained women completed two identical exercise bouts (300 maximal single-leg eccentric leg extensions) followed by alcohol (1.09 g ethanol kg−1 fat-free body mass) or placebo ingestion. Blood was collected before (PRE), and 5 (5 h-POST), 24 (24 h-POST), and 48 (48 h-POST) hours after exercise and analyzed for LPS-stimulated cytokine production (TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, and IL-8 and IL-10). Maximal torque production (concentric, eccentric, isometric) was measured for each leg at PRE, 24 h-POST, and 48 h-POST.

Results

Although the exercise bout increased LPS-stimulated production of TNF-α (%change from PRE: 5 h-POST 109%; 24 h-POST 49%; 48 h-POST 40%) and decreased LPS-stimulated production of IL-8 (5 h-POST −40%; 24 h-POST −50%; 48 h-POST: −43%) and IL-10 (5 h-POST: −37%; 24 h-POST −32%; 48 h-POST −31%), consuming alcohol after exercise did not affect this response. Regardless of drink condition, concentric, eccentric, and isometric torque produced by the exercised leg were lower at 24 h-POST (concentric 106 ± 6 Nm, eccentric 144 ± 9 Nm, isometric 128 ± 8 Nm; M ± SE) compared to PRE (concentric 127 ± 7 Nm, eccentric 175 ± 11 Nm, isometric 148 ± 8 Nm). Eccentric torque production was partially recovered and isometric torque production was fully recovered by 48 h-POST.

Conclusions

Alcohol consumed after muscle-damaging resistance exercise does not appear to affect inflammatory capacity or muscular performance recovery in resistance-trained women. Combined with previous findings in men, these results suggest a gender difference regarding effects of alcohol on exercise recovery.

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Abbreviations

5 h-POST:

Five hours after exercise time point

24 h-POST:

Twenty-four hours after exercise time point

48 h-POST:

Forty-eight hours after exercise time point

ALC:

Alcohol condition

ANOVA:

Analysis of variance

BAC:

Blood alcohol concentration

CK:

Creatine kinase

IL:

Interleukin

LPS:

Lipopolysaccharide

NF:

Nuclear regulatory factor

PLA:

Placebo condition

PRE:

Pre-exercise time point

TNF:

Tumor necrosis factor

VAS:

Visual analog scale

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Acknowledgements

This study was funded in part by a grant from the National Strength and Conditioning Association Foundation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Applied Physiology Laboratory, Department of Kinesiology, Health Promotion, and Recreation, University of North Texas, 1155 Union Circle #310769, Denton, TX, 76203, USA

    Danielle E. Levitt, Hui-Ying Luk, Brian K. McFarlin, David W. Hill & Jakob L. Vingren

  2. Department of Biological Sciences, University of North Texas, 1155 Union Circle #305220, Denton, TX, 76203, USA

    Danielle E. Levitt, Hui-Ying Luk, Brian K. McFarlin & Jakob L. Vingren

  3. Department of Physiology, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center School of Medicine, 1901 Perdido St., New Orleans, LA, 70112, USA

    Anthony A. Duplanty

Authors
  1. Danielle E. Levitt
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  2. Hui-Ying Luk
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  4. Brian K. McFarlin
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Correspondence to Jakob L. Vingren.

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The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.

Ethical approval

All procedures performed in this study involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of, and approved by, the Institutional Review Board of the University of North Texas and in accordance with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments. This article does not contain any studies with animals performed by the authors.

Informed consent

Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

Additional information

Communicated by William J. Kraemer.

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Levitt, D.E., Luk, HY., Duplanty, A.A. et al. Effect of alcohol after muscle-damaging resistance exercise on muscular performance recovery and inflammatory capacity in women. Eur J Appl Physiol 117, 1195–1206 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-017-3606-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-017-3606-0

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