Metabolic and perceptual responses during arm and leg ergometry in water and air

ROBERTSON, R., F. GOSS, T. MICHAEL, N. MOYNA, P. GORDON, P. VISICH, J. KANG, T. ANGELOPOULOS, S. DASILVA, and K. METZ. Metabolic and perceptual responses during arm and leg ergometry in water and air. Med. Sci. Sports Exerc., Vol. 27, No. 5, pp. 760–764, 1995. This investigation determined metabolic (i.e., kcal·min-1) responses and ratings of perceived exertion (RPE) for varying pedal-crank rates (PCR) and power outputs (PO) during arm and leg exercise in thermoneutral air (TA) and water (TW). Nine males (age 28.2 yr; leg cycle VO2peak3.41·min-1) undertook the 24 exercise trials. During the TW trials kcal·min-1were less (P< 0.05): at 50 W for 40 (X ± SB; 10.9 ± 0.8) than 50 (8.2 ± 0.2), 60 (8.2 ± 0.6), or 70 (7.4 ± 0.3) rev·min-1and at 100 W for 40 (15.2 ± 0.7), 50 (14.0 ± 1.1), and 60 (13.8 ± 0.7) than 70 (12.1 ± 0.5) rev·min-1. All other comparisons of kcal·min-1between PCR at the three PO were not significant. During the TA trials kcal·min-1were less (P< 0.05): at 50 W for 40 (11.4 ± 0.3) than 60 (9.7 ± 0.4) and 70 (9.1 ± 0.4) rev·min-1and for 50 (11.0 ± 0.5) than 70 rev·min-1. During the TW trials: RPE-Arms and RPE-Overall at 50 W were lower (P< 0.05) for 40 (8.1 ± 0.5; 8.3 ± 0.4) than 60 (9.6 ± 0.5; 9.8 ± 0.6) and 70 (9.3 ± 0.5; 9.9 ± 0.7) rev·min-1, RPE-Legs at 50 W was lower (P< 0.05) for 40 (8,3 ± 0.4) than 70 (9.9 ± 0.7) rev·min-1. All other comparisons of RPE between PCR at the three PO were not significant.