Isometric contractions of the handgrip muscles were exerted by eight male subjects (age range 19-24 yr) to determine the relationship between fatiguing and nonfatiguing isometric contractions. In a first series of experiments, subjects exerted fatiguing isometric contractions at tensions of 25, 40, or 70% of the maximum strength of the subjects (MVC) following a contraction at a nonfatiguing tension of 5 or 10% MVC for 3, 7, or 20 min. In a second series of experiments, subjects exerted pairs of fatiguing isometric contractions at the same tensions; however, during the 3-, 7-, or 20-min interval between the contractions the subjects either rested or exerted a contraction at 5 or 10% MVC. Nonfatiguing isometric contractions exerted prior to fatiguing contractions had little influence on the endurance for the fatiguing static effort. In contrast, when contractions at nonfatiguing tensions were exerted in the recovery interval following an isometric contraction at a fatiguing tension, the recovery of endurance was dramatically reduced.