IPC recovery length of 45 minutes improves muscle oxygen saturation during active sprint recovery

Ischemic preconditioning (IPC) involves brief, repeated bouts of limb occlusion and reperfusion capable of improving exercise performance at least partially by enhancing local skeletal muscle oxygenation. This study sought to investigate the effect of a lower limb IPC protocol, with either a 5-min or 45-min post-application delay, on vastus lateralis tissue saturation index (TSI) and systemic cardiac hemodynamics at rest and during short-duration intense cycling. Twelve young adults randomly completed four interventions: IPC (at 220 mmHg) with 5-min delay (IPC5), IPC with 45-min delay (IPC45), SHAM (at 20 mmHg) with 5-min delay (SHAM5), and SHAM with 45-min delay (SHAM45). Following IPC intervention and recovery delay, participants completed 5, 60-s high-intensity (100% W_peak) cycle sprints separated by 120-sec of active recovery (30% W_peak). Compared to baseline, TSI immediately following IPC5, but pre-exercise, remained lower than the equivalent for IPC45 (-5.9 ± 1.5%, p = .002). IPC, imposed at least 45-min before the completion of five 60-s sprint cycling efforts, significantly enhanced TSI during active recovery between sprint intervals compared to a 5-min delay (6.6 ± 2.4%, p = .021), and identical SHAM conditions (SHAM5: 5.8 ± 2.2%, p = .024; SHAM45: 6.2 ± 2.5%, p = .029). A 45-min delay following IPC appears to provide heightened skeletal muscle metabolic rebound prior to intense sprint cycling as compared to a 5-min delay. Furthermore, IPC followed by a 45-min delay enhanced recovery of skeletal muscle oxygenation during low intensity active sprint recovery, despite an unchanged decline in skeletal muscle oxygenation during near-maximal sprinting efforts.