Recovery from Resistance Exercise with or Without Blood Flow Restriction Results in an Early Biphasic Pattern of Change in Albumin Cys34 Oxidation in Untrained Males.

BACKGROUND

Oxidative stress contributes to the activation of muscle protein synthesis after high-intensity resistance exercise (HIRE) or low-intensity resistance exercise combined with blood flow restriction (LIBFR), but it is unclear if this oxidative stress response post-exercise is monophasic or multiphasic. We aimed to answer this question using albumin Cys34 oxidation as an oxidative stress marker.

METHODS

Seven untrained individuals completed HIRE and LIBFR on separate days. Albumin Cys34 oxidation (total and reversibly and irreversibly oxidized fractions), muscle oxygenation, oxygen consumption (V˙O2), lactate, and heart rate (HR) were measured before and up to 5 h post-exercise.

RESULTS

Both HIRE and LIBFR induced a biphasic increase in total oxidized albumin Cys34, with a transient peak in irreversibly oxidized albumin Cys34 immediately post-exercise ( < 0.001) before a delayed sustained increase in reversibly oxidized albumin Cys34, which peaked at 90-120 min and lasted ≥5 h post-exercise ( < 0.05). Muscle oxygenation decreased immediately post-exercise ( < 0.001) before rising above baseline ( < 0.05). V˙O2, HR, and blood lactate peaked post-exercise ( < 0.001) and returned to baseline within 15-90 min. Irreversibly oxidized albumin Cys34 was positively correlated with lactate and V˙O2 post-exercise ( < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

Here, we show that resistance exercise, with or without blood flow restriction, results in an early biphasic oxidative stress response after exercise.