Affiliations: [a] Department of Exercise Science, University of Puget
Sound, Tacoma, WA, USA
Note: [] Address for correspondence: Barbara L. Warren, 1500 N. Warner
#1047, Department of Exercise Science, University of Puget Sound, Tacoma, WA
98416, USA. Tel.: +1 253 879 3710; Fax: +1 253 879 3254; E-mail: blwarren@pugetsound.edu
Abstract: The purpose of the study was to evaluate the effect of rest period
on peak torque in females. Thirty college-aged females (n =
15 collegiate athletes and n = 15 recreational athletes)
performed three practice sessions and four experimental sessions using a knee
flexion/extension protocol on a CYBEX NORM isokinetic dynamometer. Each session
began with a five minute warmup on a cycle ergometer after which the subjects
performed four maximal repetitions of knee extension at five isokinetic
velocities, 60, 120, 180, 240, and 300° · sec^{-1} with randomly assigned rest periods of
15, 60, 180, or 300 seconds between velocity sets while knee flexion was held
constant at 300°· sec^{-1}. Peak
torque was recorded for each trial. Data were analyzed using a 4 (rest)
× 5 (velocity) repeated measures ANOVA (p
< 0.05). There were no significant differences in peak torque between
any of the rest periods. It was concluded that in females a 60 second rest is
adequate for muscle recovery when executing four maximal repetitions.
