The effect of body fat on the ability to sustain a fatiguing isometric contraction and on the recovery of strength and endurance following these contractions was examined here. Five overweight (average body fat = 28.6%) and five normal weight (average body fat= 11.4%) subjects were asked to perform pairs of isometric contractions of their handgrip muscles sustained to fatigue at tensions of 25,40,70 and 90% of their maximum strength (MVC). The interval between the contractions was set at 3,7,12,20 and 60 min. In an additional series of experiments, these same subjects were asked to exert an MVC at 3,7,12, and 20 min following an isometric contraction at either 25, 40, 70 or 90% MVC. It was found that although the overweight group had more strength than the normal weight group, their endurance was less for sustained isometric contractions at any tension examined here. In contrast, endurance initially recovered more rapidly in the overweight than the normal weight group but the time required for both strength and endurance to recover fully was the same in both groups.