The effect of lower limb occlusion on recovery following sprint exercise in academy rugby players

Objectives: The effects of vascular occlusion on recovery of physiological and neuromuscular markers over 24 h, and hormonal reactivity to subsequent exercise were investigated. Design: Counterbalanced, randomised, crossover. Methods: Academy rugby players (n = 24) completed six 50-m sprints (5-min inter-set recovery) before occlusion cuff application (thighs) and intermittent inflation to 171–266 mmHg (Recovery) or 15 mmHg (Con) for 12-min (two sets, 3-min repetitions, 3-min non-occluded reperfusion). Countermovement jumps, blood (lactate, creatine kinase), saliva (testosterone, cortisol), and perceptual (soreness, recovery) responses were measured before (baseline) and after (post, +2 h, +24 h) sprinting. Saliva was sampled after a 30-min resistance exercise session performed 24 h after sprinting. Results: Although sprinting (total: 40.0 ± 2.8 s, p = 0.238; average: 6.7 ± 0.5 s, p = 0.674) influenced creatine kinase (p < 0.001, +457.1 ± 327.3 μL⁻¹, at 24 h), lactate (p < 0.001, 6.8 ± 2.3 mmol L⁻¹, post), testosterone (p < 0.001, −55.9 ± 63.2 pg mL⁻¹, at 2 h) and cortisol (p < 0.001, −0.3 ± 0.3 μg dL⁻¹, at 2 h) concentrations, countermovement jump power output (p < 0.001, −409.6 ± 310.1 W; −5.4 ± 3.4 cm, post), perceived recovery (p < 0.001, −3.0 ± 2.3, post), and muscle soreness (p < 0.001; 1.5 ± 1.1, at 24 h), vascular occlusion had no effect (all p > 0.05) on recovery. In response to subsequent exercise performed 24 h after vascular occlusion, testosterone increased pre-to-post-exercise (Recovery: p = 0.031, 21.6 ± 44.9 pg mL⁻¹; Con: p = 0.178, 10.6 ± 36.6 pg mL⁻¹) however Δtestosterone was not significantly different (p = 0.109) between conditions. Conclusions: Vascular occlusion had no effect on physiological or neuromuscular markers 2 h or 24 h after sprinting or in response to a physical stress test.