A study was conducted to determine the adequacy of several recovery periods following a series of intermittent tasks, and to evaluate repeatability of changes in muscle fatigue measures during such efforts. Seven college-age students participated in this study that involved light intermittent abductions of the arm, performed in a supine posture. The exercise was maintained either until exhaustion or up to one hour, with contraction levels set at 20% of muscle strength. The same exercise was performed on five different days (Day 1, 2, 6, 8, and 11). Data collected included strength, perceived muscle discomfort, and amplitude and median power frequency of the myoelectrical signals obtained from the middle-deltoid muscle. Despite non-significant day effects, trends indicated that a minimum of two-day recovery period between sessions is needed. Additionally, poor intra-class correlations were found for changes in electromyography-based measures, indicating that care is needed when interpreting myoelectrical data as an indicator of fatigue during this type of exercise.
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