Acute fatigue, and perceptual responses to resistance exercise

Despite assumptions, there is an absence of research on acute fatigue responses to high‐ and low‐load and advanced technique resistance exercise. Methods Trained males ( n  = 8; age 27.2 ± 7.4 years, height 180.0 ± 6.6 cm, weight: 86.6 ± 10.3 kg) were assessed for decrement in maximal voluntary isometric torque (MVIT) and perceived effort and discomfort after heavier load (HL; 80% MVIT), lighter load (LL; 30% MVIT), forced repetition (FR), and breakdown set (BD) training protocols. Results Analyses revealed a significant reduction in MVIT ( P  < 0.05) with a significant between‐condition effect, and significant post‐hoc pairwise comparisons between LL and both HL ( P  = 0.044) and FR ( P  = 0.013). There were no significant between‐condition effects for effort or discomfort ( P  > 0.05). Discussion Fatigue as a decrement in force production appears to follow a more complex relationship than simply 100% minus the force requirements of the task relative to a maximal voluntary contraction. Muscle Nerve 56 : E141–E146, 2017