Effect of Ischemic Preconditioning Interventions With Different Cycles on Exercise Performance in Team Sport Athletes

Öztürk, F, Ceylan, B, and Balcı, ŞS. Effect of ischemic preconditioning interventions with different cycles on exercise performance in team sport athletes. J Strength Cond Res 40(8): e813-e820, 2026-This study examined the effects of ischemic preconditioning (IPC) interventions with different cycle durations on anaerobic and agility performance and recovery in team sport athletes. Twelve young female athletes completed 4 visits. During the first visit, anthropometric assessments and familiarization procedures were conducted. In the remaining visits, athletes completed 1 of 3 conditions-IPC 1 × 5 minutes, IPC 3 × 5 minutes, or control-in a randomized order. Each session comprised a Modified Agility Test and the Running-Based Anaerobic Sprint Test, followed by a 5-minute recovery period. A 7-day rest period was given between conditions. Both IPC interventions significantly improved peak power output compared with control condition ( p = 0.01). Mean power was higher after IPC 1 × 5 minutes than control ( p = 0.01), with no significant differences between the other conditions. Agility performance improved after IPC 3 × 5 minutes compared with after IPC 1 × 5 minutes ( p = 0.01) but showed no difference relative to control ( p > 0.05). Heart rate (HR) values were lower after IPC interventions than in the control condition ( p = 0.01), indicating enhanced cardiovascular recovery. However, IPC had no significant effect on ratings of perceived exertion scores or the time course of HR recovery. In conclusion, IPC enhanced specific aspects of anaerobic performance and supported cardiovascular recovery. Given the comparable outcomes across conditions, the shorter IPC protocol (1 × 5 minutes) may represent a practical alternative to its longer counterpart.