Induced lactacidemia does not affect postexercise O2 consumption.

To study the effects of circulatory occlusion on the time course and magnitude of postexercise O2 consumption (VO2) and blood lactate responses, nine male subjects were studied twice for 50 min on a cycle ergometer. On one occasion, leg blood flow was occluded with surgical thigh cuffs placed below the buttocks and inflated to 200 mmHg. The protocol consisted of a 10-min rest, 12 min of exercise at 40% peak O2 consumption (VO2 peak), and a 28-min resting recovery while respiratory gas exchange was determined breath by breath. Occlusion (OCC) spanned min 6-8 during the 12-min work bout and elicited mean blood lactate of 5.2 +/- 0.8 mM, which was 380% greater than control (CON). During 18 min of recovery, blood lactate after OCC remained significantly above CON values. VO2 was significantly lower during exercise with OCC compared with CON but was significantly higher during the 4 min of exercise after cuff release. VO2 was higher after OCC during the first 4 min of recovery but was not significantly different thereafter. Neither total recovery VO2 (gross recovery VO2 with no base-line subtraction) nor excess postexercise VO2 (net recovery VO2 above an asymptotic base line) was significantly different for OCC and CON conditions (13.71 +/- 0.45 vs. 13.44 +/- 0.61 liters and 4.93 +/- 0.26 vs. 4.17 +/- 0.35 liters, respectively). Manipulation of exercise blood lactate levels had no significant effect on the slow ("lactacid") component of the recovery VO2.