ter Beek, F, Jokumsen, PS, Sloth, BN, Thomas Stevenson, AJ, and Larsen, RG. Ischemic preconditioning attenuates rating of perceived exertion but does not improve maximal oxygen consumption or maximal power output. J Strength Cond Res XX(X) 000-000, 2020-Brief consecutive periods of limb ischemia and reperfusion, known as ischemic preconditioning (IPC), have been reported to increase maximal power output (MPO) during cycling. However, the underlying mechanisms are unclear. Therefore, the purpose of the study was to investigate the effects of IPC on MPO, maximal oxygen consumption (V[Combining Dot Above]O2max), muscle oxygenation, and rating of perceived exertion (RPE) during an incremental cycling test. Fourteen healthy young men participated in this double-blinded, randomized crossover study, involving IPC (250 mm Hg; four 5-minute cycles of ischemia) and sham (20 mm Hg) treatment followed by an incremental cycling test to exhaustion. During the cycling test, V[Combining Dot Above]O2, RPE, heart rate (HR), blood lactate (BL), and muscle oxygenation and deoxygenation (near-infrared spectroscopy) were measured. MPO, V[Combining Dot Above]O2max, HRmax, and muscle deoxygenation did not change with IPC (all p-values > 0.13). Furthermore, IPC had no significant effect on V[Combining Dot Above]O2, HR, or muscle oxygenation during the incremental cycling test (all p-values > 0.18). However, IPC attenuated RPE during cycling at 210 W (IPC median 17.0 [interquartile range 15.3-19.0]; sham 17.5 [17.0-19.0]; p = 0.007) and 245 W (IPC 18.0 [17.0-18.8]; sham 19.0 [18.0-19.8]; p = 0.011). A single session of IPC did not improve MPO, V[Combining Dot Above]O2max, or measures of oxygen consumption during the cycling test. However, IPC lowered RPE at 210 and 245 W, suggesting that IPC may attenuate the perception of effort at higher submaximal exercise intensities.Rothschild, J, Sheard, AC, and Crocker, GH. Influence of a 2-km swim on the cycling power-duration relationship in triathletes. J Strength Cond Res XX(X) 000-000, 2020-Triathletes must cycle after swimming, and so, it is important to understand how cycling performance may be affected by prior swimming. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine the effects of a 2-km swim at a self-selected race-pace intensity on the cycling power-duration relationship. Eighteen trained triathletes (12 M, 6 F; 37.1 ± 10.6 years, V[Combining Dot Above]O2max 54.8 ± 10.1 ml·kg·min) performed two 3-minute all-out cycling tests (3MTs) on separate days with one 3 MT immediately after a 2-km swim (swim-bike [SB]) and one without prior swimming (bike-only [BO]). The power-duration relationship was expressed as the total work done (TWD) and subdivided into end-test power (EP) and work done above EP. To assess swimming intensity, heart rate (HR) was continuously monitored during the 2-km swim and blood lactate was assessed on completion of the swim. End-swim lactate was 4.2 ± 1.8 mM, and mean swimming HR was 147 ± 18 b·min. The 2-km swim decreased TWD during the 3MT by 6% (BO 62.8 ± 12.7 kJ; SB 58.9 ± 13.4 kJ; p = 0.001) though neither EP (BO 281 ± 65 W; SB 269 ± 68 W; p = 0.102) nor work done above EP (BO 12.1 ± 3.8 kJ; SB 10.5 ± 4.2 kJ; p = 0.096) differed between trials. In conclusion, TWD while cycling decreases after a 2-km race-pace swim. Results from this study suggest that triathletes should determine racing cycling power following a simulated race-pace swim.Nunes, GS, Barton, CJ, and Serrão, FV. Impaired knee muscle capacity is correlated with impaired sagittal kinematics during jump landing in women with patellofemoral pain. https://www.selleckchem.com/products/isrib.html J Strength Cond Res XX(X) 000-000, 2020-Knee and hip muscle capacity is impaired in women with patellofemoral pain (PFP), but little is known about the rate of force development (RFD) at the knee. Impaired muscle capacity may contribute to reduced sagittal plane movement at the knee and hip during jump landing in women with PFP. This study aimed to (a) compare knee extensor muscle capacity (including RFD), and hip abductor and extensor muscle capacity between women with and without PFP; and (b) evaluate the relationship between hip/knee muscle capacity and sagittal kinematics during single-legged drop jump landing in women with PFP. Fifty-two physically active women (26 with PFP and 26 controls) participated. Rate of force development (in %/ms), isometric, concentric, and eccentric torque (in N·m·kg × 100) were evaluated using isokinetic dympaired knee extensor RFD is associated with a stiffer landing strategy (reduced movement).Jukic, I, García-Ramos, A, Malecek, J, Omcirk, D, and Tufano, JJ. Magnitude and reliability of velocity and power variables during deadlifts performed with and without lifting straps. J Strength Cond Res XX(X) 000-000, 2020-This study aimed to compare the magnitude and reliability of mean velocity (MV), peak velocity (PV), mean power (MP), and peak power (PP) between deadlifts performed with (DLw) and without (DLn) lifting straps. Sixteen resistance-trained men performed a DLn 1-repetition maximum (1RM) session followed by 4 experimental sessions (2 with each deadlift variant in a randomized order). Each experimental session comprised lifts at 20, 40, 60, and 80% of the DLn 1RM. No significant differences were found between DLw and DLn for MV, MP, PV, and PP at any load (p = 0.309-1.00; g = 0.00-0.19). All mechanical variables showed an acceptable reliability for both deadlift conditions at each relative load (coefficient of variation [CV] 0.70; g less then 0.5) with the only exception of MV at 60% 1RM for DLw (ICC = 0.62) and at 40% 1RM for DLn (ICC = 0.65). Furthermore, MV and PV generally had lower within-subject CV (CV = 3.56-5.86%) than MP and PP (CV = 3.82-8.05%) during both deadlift conditions. Our findings suggest that sport professionals might not need to consider implementing lifting straps with the aim to maximize velocity and power outputs with submaximal loads in a deadlift exercise. Because all mechanical variables measured showed an acceptable level of reliability for both DLw and DLn, they can all be used to track changes in performance during the deadlift exercise. However, velocity variables were slightly more consistent (lower CV), which makes them more appropriate to track DLw and DLn performance changes.