Progressive Arm Cycling Ergometry With 3- And 5-Minute Stage Durations Yields Similar Estimates of Substrate Oxidation in Healthy Adults

Abstract

Arm cycling ergometry (ACE) leads to a lower maximal oxygen uptake (VO₂max) than cycling which is related to a smaller active muscle mass. This study compared estimates of fat and carbohydrate oxidation (FOx and CHOOx) between progressive exercise protocols varying in stage duration in an attempt to create a standard exercise protocol for determining substrate metabolism using ACE. Four men and seven women (age = 24 ± 9 yr) unfamiliar with ACE completed incremental exercise to determine peak power output and VO₂peak. During two subsequent sessions completed after an overnight fast, they completed progressive ACE using 3- or 5-min stages during which FOx, CHOOx, and blood lactate concentration (BLa) were measured. Results showed no difference (p > 0.05) in FOx, CHOOx, or BLa across stage duration, and there was no difference in maximal fat oxidation (0.16 ± 0.08 vs. 0.13 ± 0.07 g/min, p = 0.07). However, respiratory exchange ratio in response to the 3 min stage duration was significantly lower than the 5 min duration (0.83 ± 0.05 vs. 0.86 ± 0.03, p = 0.04, Cohen’s d = 0.76). Results suggest that a 3 min stage duration is preferred to assess substrate metabolism during upper-body exercise in healthy adults.

Astorino, Todd A. Ph.D; Jordan, Zachary; Gonzales, Cristian; Schuerger, Carly; and Atakan, Muhammed M. (2024) “Progressive Arm Cycling Ergometry With 3- And 5-Minute Stage Durations Yields Similar Estimates of Substrate Oxidation in Healthy Adults,” International Journal of Exercise Science: Vol. 17 : Iss. 2, Pages 468 – 479.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.70252/EUDZ2239

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