The production of reactive oxygen species in skeletal muscle has been linked with muscle fatigue. Infusion of the antioxidant compound 7V-acetylcysteine (NAC) reduced fatigability in electrically evoked human muscle contractions, but numerous adverse reactions were reported. No studies have investigated NAC infusion effects during voluntary exercise in humans. This thesis investigated
whether an NAC infusion protocol that was modified to minimise these adverse reactions, would augment time to fatigue, enhance glutathione availability and enhance potassium (K+) regulation during voluntary fatiguing exercise.