Objectives: 

The study was aimed at quantifying the cardiometabolic effects of two different protocols of IPM on the maximal cycling performance (MCP)of 17 young, healthy and fit volunteers and furtherome evaluate plasma concentrations of a series of markers of oxidative stress considered at different times during the tests. The data presented refer to the latter aspect of the study.

Materials: 

To the volunteers the following protocols were randomly assigned: i)Reference test (REF test), that consisted of a MCP till exhaustion while monitoring a series of respiratory, metabolic and hemodynamic variables. Blood samples were not taken at this time; ii)RIP test that consisted of a MCP after IPM induced at rest: 5 min after the application of three subsequent cycles (10 min each), of legs circulation occlusion/reperfusion, the subjects performed a MCP. Blood samples were taken just before and right after the IPM; iii)MCP was performed following exercise-induced IP (EIP test).The IP protocol consisted of a 3 min legs circulation occlusion induced immediately after a 5 min lasting cycle-ergometer exercise at a constant workload. Plasma concentrations of the following analytes were determined before and after the IPM: allantoin (mmol/L), uric acid (mmol/L), total thiols (mmol/L), total thiols redox (mmol/L), total thiols red (mmol/L), methyl-cysteine (mmol/L).

Results: 

Both protocols were effective in inducing significant changes of maximal power output, total work done and total exercise time, however only the RIP protocol was associated to a significant decrease of plasma concentrations of: Allantoin, total Thiols and All/UA ratio, the concentrations of the other considered analytes being unaffected by the IPM in comparison to their respective basal values,in both protocols.

Conclusions: 

Athough the available do not allow any definitive conclusion, plasma concentration of oxidative stres markers do not seem to show a definite and consistent pattern of changes that correlated to the MCPs improvement.