Related Experiment Video
Updated: Dec 28, 2025

Improving Strength, Power, Muscle Aerobic Capacity, and Glucose Tolerance through Short-term Progressive Strength Training Among Elderly People
Published on: July 5, 2017
Postactivation potentiation attenuates resistance exercise performance decrements following aerobic exercise in
Marcelo Conrado de Freitas1,2, Valéria L Panissa3, Jason M Cholewa4
1Skeletal Muscle Assessment Laboratory (LABSIM), Department of Physical Education, School of Technology and Sciences, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Presidente Prudente, Brazil - marceloconrado013@gmail.com.
Background:
The purpose of this study was to investigate if a post-activation potentiation (PAP) protocol may attenuate the acute interference induced by high-intensity intermittent exercise (HIIE) and on subsequent strength exercise performance in recreationally trained men.
Methods:
Eleven resistance-trained men (age: 25.7±3.7 y) randomly completed three experimental trials: strength exercise (SE) only (4 sets of maximal number of repetitions at 70% on the 45º leg press); concurrent exercise (CE) comprised 5000-m of HIIE at maximal aerobic speed (1:1 effort and pause ratio) followed by SE protocol; CE with post-activation potentiation (CE-PAP), comprised the same CE protocol preceded by one set of 2 repetitions at 90% of 1RM on the 45° leg-press before strength exercise. The number of repetitions performed was recorded for each set and total weight lifted was calculated.
Results:
The CE condition induced a greater decrement in volume for the leg press compared to SE and CE-PAP in sets 1 (24±21%; 18±25%), 2 (20±21%; 22±22%), and 3 (19±20%; 25±15%), respectively. Total weight lifted was greater after SE (8,795±2,581 kg) and CE-PAP (8.809±2.655 kg) conditions compared to CE (7.049±2.822 kg) (SE vs. CE: P=0.020) and (CE-PAP vs. CE: P=0.010) but there was no significant difference between SE and CE-PAP (P=1.00).
Conclusions:
PAP using a heavy load attenuated acute interference (total volume during lower-body strength) generated by HIIE protocol, but did not enhance volume compared to SE alone.
Related Concept Videos
Exercise and Muscle Performance
Endurance exercises
Endurance exercises involve running, swimming, or cycling, which require repetitive movements with low force output. When a person engages in endurance exercise, a few noticeable changes occur in their skeletal muscles. For instance, the number of capillaries...
Muscle Recovery and Fatigue
Exercise and Cardiovascular Response
Light to moderate physical activity initiates a series of interconnected responses in the body. The heart rate modestly increases in anticipation of the workout, followed by widespread vasodilation as oxygen consumption by skeletal muscles increases. This results in decreased peripheral resistance, increased capillary blood flow, and accelerated...
Long-term Potentiation
Hebbian LTP
LTP can occur when...
Long-term Potentiation
Exercise and Cardiac Output
Sustained exercise increases the muscles' oxygen demand, which can be...

