Excess post-exercise oxygen consumption in untrained men following exercise of equal energy expenditure: comparisons of upper and lower body exercise.
OBJECTIVE
This study assessed excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC) following continuous 200- kcal bouts of upper body exercise (UBE) and lower body exercise (LBE).


METHODS
Ten untrained men (age: 25.7 +/- 5.83 years; arm VO(2peak): 2.2 +/- 0.25 l/min; 21.5 +/- 4.35 ml/kg/min; leg VO(2peak): 3.1 +/- 0.38 l/min; 30.7 +/- 7.79 ml/kg/min) exercised at 60% mode-specific VO(2) peak using either an arm crank or a leg cycle protocol (counterbalanced order with 48 h between). Baseline VO(2) was monitored for 30 min. EPOC was measured until baseline was re-established.


RESULTS
EPOC magnitude and duration were significantly greater (p < 0.05) following LBE (2.93 +/- 1.4 l/min; 16.5 +/- 7.4 min) compared with UBE (1.89 +/- 0.7 l/min; 11.5 +/- 6.1 min).


CONCLUSIONS
Results indicate that leg exercise elicited a greater EPOC magnitude and duration compared with arm exercise of the same relative intensity and energy expenditure.
Lyons
S
S
Department of Physical Education and Recreation, Western Kentucky University, Bowling Green, KY, USA. scott.lyons@wku.edu
Richardson
M
M
Bishop
P
P
Smith
J
J
Heath
H
H
Giesen
J
J
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001132:Arm / Q000503:physiopathology; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology*; D005080:Exercise Test / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D007866:Leg / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D010101:Oxygen Consumption / Q000502:physiology*