AbstractsPsychology

Recovery from exercise is immensely important and under studied. The experiments conducted throughout this research have focused on testing the effects of rest interval during resistance exercise and the efficacy of acetic acid feeding on recovery rate. To elucidate the relationship between rest interval and recovery energy expenditure two experiments were undertaken. These experiments were designed to alter only rest interval while maintaining work intensity and volume. No difference in the total energy expenditure during the short phase of recovery (first hour) was found, but energy expenditure during the prolonged phase (days post exercise) was minorly increased by lowering rest interval. These results combined with the metabolic and affective data collected have raised questions as to the underlying mechanisms which warrant further study. The third and fourth experiment focused on acetic acid consumption and recovery from exhaustive exercise. Previous studies in animal models have shown significantly improved recovery rates. This research was focused on testing the efficacy of acetic acid feeding in humans to improve performance. Participants therefore exercised, were given a time to rest, and a recovery beverage was consumed. After recovery participants ability to perform was assessed, and various metabolic measurements were assessed. The findings of these projects are promising, as acetic acid appears to have positive effects on recovery. The potential benefits to millions of athletes in a variety of sports are immense. The work completed throughout this Dissertation has successfully added to the field of recovery research, and provided more questions to be answered in the future.