Chronic beta-blockade does not influence muscle power output during high-intensity exercise of short-duration

Patients receiving beta-receptor antagonists for the treatment of hypertension frequently complain of impaired exercise tolerance. To determine whether these medications impair skeletal muscle contractile function, we measured isokinetic muscle function in ten healthy male cyclists receiving nebivolol (N), atenolol (A), propranolol (P) and the calcium channel antagonist diltiazem (D). The subjects performed standardized tests of muscle power on an isokinetic cycle ergometer following subacute ingestion of N, A, P, D and placebo (PL) in a double blind crossover trial. Subjects exercised maximally for 10 s at 90, 110, 120, 130 and 150 rpm with 2-min rest between sessions. Thereafter, they performed a 30-s fatigue test at 120 rpm. Resting heart rate was decreased 13.4%, 21.9% and 14.6% by N, A and P, respectively (P < 0.05 vs PL). Resting systolic blood pressure was decreased 6.7% by A only (P < 0.05 vs PL). Peak power, average power and work done was not different among treatment groups at any crank velocity, nor was there any difference in total work done or rate of work decline in the 30-s test. We concluded from our study that peak isokinetic muscle power during maximal exercise of short duration is not affected by beta-blockade or the calcium antagonist diltiazem. Fatigue during beta-receptor antagonism would not appear therefore to be due to changes in the ability of skeletal muscle to produce peak power output during exercise of short duration.