title: Oxygen cost of internal work during cycling.
abstract: The energy cost of internal work and its relationships with lower limb mass and pedalling frequency were studied in four male subjects [age 22.2 (SD 1.5) years, body mass 81.0 (SD 5.1) kg, maximal O2 uptake (VO2max) above resting 3.06 (SD 0.4) l.min-1]. The subjects cycled at 40, 60, 80 and 100 rpm and at five different exercise intensities for every pedalling frequency (unloaded condition, UL); the same exercises were repeated after having increased the lower limbs' masses by 40% (loaded condition, L). The exercise intensities were chosen so that the oxygen consumption (VO2) did not exceed 75% of VO2max. For all the subjects and all the conditions, the rate of VO2 above resting increased linearly with the mechanical power (W). The y-intercepts of the linear regressions of VO2 on W, normalised per kilogram of overall lower limbs mass were the same in both UL and L and increased with the 4.165 power of pedalling frequency (fp). These intercepts were taken to represent the metabolic counterpart of the internal power dissipation in cycling; they amounted to 0.78, 0.34, 3.29 and 10.30 W.kg-1 for pedalling frequencies of 40, 60, 80 and 100 rpm respectively. The slope of the regression lines (delta W/delta VO2) represents the delta efficiency of cycle ergometer exercise; this was also affected by fp, ranging, on average, from 22.9% to 32.0%. These data allowed us to obtain a comprehensive description of the effects of fp (per minute), exercise intensity (W, watts) and lower limbs' mass with or without added loads (mL, kg), on VO2 (ml.min-1) during cycling: VO2 = [mL.(4.3.10(-8).fp4.165/0.35)] + (1/[(3.594.10(-5).fp2 - 0.003.fp + 0.326).0.35]).W. The mean percentage error between the VO2 predicted from this equation and the actual value was 12.6%. This equation showed that the fraction of the overall VO2 due to internal work, for a normal 70-kg subject pedalling at 60 rpm and 100 W was of the order of 0.2.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Biomediche, Università degli Studi di Udine, Italy.
authors.forename: M P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Francescato
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Girardis
authors.forename: P E
authors.initials: PE
authors.lastname: di Prampero
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001642:Bicycling; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D010101:Oxygen Consumption; D005082:Physical Exertion / Q000502:physiology*