The lack of influence of reactive hyperemia on exhausting rhythmic or static exercise

Muller (1958) and Nukada (1955) claimed that the performance of exhausting exercise can be greatly prolonged if the exercise is begun at the start of reactive hyperemia. They reported that arrest of the circulation for 10 min immediately before beginning rhythmic exercise had increased the endurance time nearly 7-fold. We have repeated Muller's and Nukada's experiments. In one series we used rhythmic exercises on a bicycle ergometer, and in another sustained contractions on a hand-grip dynamometer. Our results failed to support those of the above authors. The endurance times for rhythmic and static exercise were unaltered by previous arrest of the circulation.