AUTHOR=Engel Florian Azad , Sperlich Billy , Stöcker Urs , Wolf Peter , Schöffl Volker , Donath Lars 

TITLE=Acute Responses to Forearm Compression of Blood Lactate Accumulation, Heart Rate, Perceived Exertion, and Muscle Pain in Elite Climbers

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Physiology

VOLUME=9

YEAR=2018

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/physiology/articles/10.3389/fphys.2018.00605

DOI=10.3389/fphys.2018.00605

ISSN=1664-042X

ABSTRACT=<p><bold>Objectives:</bold> To evaluate the immediate responses to forearm compression of blood lactate concentration, heart rate, perceived exertion and local forearm muscle pain during severe climbing in elite climbers.</p><p><bold>Method:</bold> Seven elite climbers (18 ± 2 years; 164 ± 5 cm; 57.8 ± 5.3 kg) performed 3 × 3 climbing bouts with maximal intensity on a distinct 8 m boulder wall (lead grade: 7a–8b) in a single blinded, placebo-controlled cross-over design, wearing either forearm sleeves with compression (verum-compression) or placebo forearm sleeves with no compression (falsum-compression). Each climber’s heart rate was recorded during and capillary blood lactate concentration, perceived exertion and forearm muscle pain were assessed directly after climbing.</p><p><bold>Result:</bold> Heart rate (<italic>p</italic> = 0.45, <inline-formula><mml:math id="M1" xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><mml:mrow><mml:msubsup><mml:mrow><mml:mi mathcolor="black" mathvariant="normal">η</mml:mi></mml:mrow><mml:mrow><mml:mi mathcolor="black" mathvariant="normal">p</mml:mi></mml:mrow><mml:mrow><mml:mn mathcolor="black" mathvariant="normal">2</mml:mn></mml:mrow></mml:msubsup></mml:mrow></mml:math></inline-formula> = 0.12), blood lactate concentrations (<italic>p</italic> = 0.44, <inline-formula><mml:math id="M2" xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><mml:mrow><mml:msubsup><mml:mrow><mml:mi mathcolor="black" mathvariant="normal">η</mml:mi></mml:mrow><mml:mrow><mml:mi mathcolor="black" mathvariant="normal">p</mml:mi></mml:mrow><mml:mrow><mml:mn mathcolor="black" mathvariant="normal">2</mml:mn></mml:mrow></mml:msubsup></mml:mrow></mml:math></inline-formula> = 0.10), perceived exertion levels (<italic>p</italic> = 0.51, <inline-formula><mml:math id="M3" xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><mml:mrow><mml:msubsup><mml:mrow><mml:mi mathcolor="black" mathvariant="normal">η</mml:mi></mml:mrow><mml:mrow><mml:mi mathcolor="black" mathvariant="normal">p</mml:mi></mml:mrow><mml:mrow><mml:mn mathcolor="black" mathvariant="normal">2</mml:mn></mml:mrow></mml:msubsup></mml:mrow></mml:math></inline-formula> = 0.08) and pain perception (<italic>p</italic> = 0.67, <inline-formula><mml:math id="M4" xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><mml:mrow><mml:msubsup><mml:mrow><mml:mi mathcolor="black" mathvariant="normal">η</mml:mi></mml:mrow><mml:mrow><mml:mi mathcolor="black" mathvariant="normal">p</mml:mi></mml:mrow><mml:mrow><mml:mn mathcolor="black" mathvariant="normal">2</mml:mn></mml:mrow></mml:msubsup></mml:mrow></mml:math></inline-formula> = 0.03) were not affected by forearm compression. No condition × time interaction effect (compression × time) occurred for heart rate (<italic>p</italic> = 0.66, <inline-formula><mml:math id="M5" xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><mml:mrow><mml:msubsup><mml:mrow><mml:mi mathcolor="black" mathvariant="normal">η</mml:mi></mml:mrow><mml:mrow><mml:mi mathcolor="black" mathvariant="normal">p</mml:mi></mml:mrow><mml:mrow><mml:mn mathcolor="black" mathvariant="normal">2</mml:mn></mml:mrow></mml:msubsup></mml:mrow></mml:math></inline-formula> = 0.04), blood lactate concentration (<italic>p</italic> = 0.70, <inline-formula><mml:math id="M6" xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><mml:mrow><mml:msubsup><mml:mrow><mml:mi mathcolor="black" mathvariant="normal">η</mml:mi></mml:mrow><mml:mrow><mml:mi mathcolor="black" mathvariant="normal">p</mml:mi></mml:mrow><mml:mrow><mml:mn mathcolor="black" mathvariant="normal">2</mml:mn></mml:mrow></mml:msubsup></mml:mrow></mml:math></inline-formula> = 0.02), perceived exertion (<italic>p</italic> = 0.20, <inline-formula><mml:math id="M7" xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><mml:mrow><mml:msubsup><mml:mrow><mml:mi mathcolor="black" mathvariant="normal">η</mml:mi></mml:mrow><mml:mrow><mml:mi mathcolor="black" mathvariant="normal">p</mml:mi></mml:mrow><mml:mrow><mml:mn mathcolor="black" mathvariant="normal">2</mml:mn></mml:mrow></mml:msubsup></mml:mrow></mml:math></inline-formula> = 0.26) and pain perception (<italic>p</italic> = 0.62, <inline-formula><mml:math id="M8" xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><mml:mrow><mml:msubsup><mml:mrow><mml:mi mathcolor="black" mathvariant="normal">η</mml:mi></mml:mrow><mml:mrow><mml:mi mathcolor="black" mathvariant="normal">p</mml:mi></mml:mrow><mml:mrow><mml:mn mathcolor="black" mathvariant="normal">2</mml:mn></mml:mrow></mml:msubsup></mml:mrow></mml:math></inline-formula> = 0.04).</p><p><bold>Conclusion:</bold> In elite climbers performing severe climbing bouts, sleeves with forearm compression do not alter blood lactate concentration, heart rate, perceived exertion and local forearm muscle pain.</p>