Whether you rest 1 minute or 2 minutes between squat sets, your muscles get about the same amount of oxygen during the exercise, even if you're at high altitude or breathing normal air.
Scientific Claim
Muscle oxygenation (SmO₂) during back squat exercise is not significantly affected by inter-set rest duration (60s vs 120s) within either hypobaric hypoxia or normoxia conditions in active men, suggesting that oxygen delivery and consumption dynamics are stable across rest intervals under these conditions.
Original Statement
“Similar mean SmO₂T values were detected for N and HH at both inter-set rest intervals (ES [p-value]: −0.36 [0.525] and −0.33 [0.494], respectively for 60 and 120 s).”
Evidence Quality Assessment
Claim Status
appropriately stated
Study Design Support
Design supports claim
Appropriate Language Strength
definitive
Can make definitive causal claims
Assessment Explanation
The RCT design with repeated measures and precise NIRS measurements supports definitive conclusions about the absence of an effect of rest duration on SmO₂ in normoxia and HH.
Evidence from Studies
Supporting (0)
Contradicting (1)
The study looked at how resting 60 vs 120 seconds between sets affects muscle oxygen levels during squats, but it didn’t clearly say whether the rest time made a difference — so we can’t say if the claim is right or wrong.