Similar acute physiological responses from effort and duration matched leg press and recumbent cycling tasks

Abstract

The present study examined the effects of exercise utilising traditional resistance training (leg press) or ‘cardio’ exercise (recumbent cycle ergometry) modalities upon acute physiological responses. Nine healthy males underwent a within session randomised crossover design where they completed both the leg press and recumbent cycle ergometer conditions. Conditions were approximately matched for effort and duration (leg press: 4 × 12RM using a 2 s concentric and 3 s eccentric repetition duration controlled with a metronome, thus each set lasted 60 s; recumbent cycle ergometer: 4 × 60 s bouts using a resistance level permitting 80–100 rpm but culminating with being unable to sustain the minimum cadence for the final 5–10 s). Measurements included VO2, respiratory exchange ratio (RER), blood lactate, energy expenditure, muscle swelling, and electromyography. Perceived effort was similar between conditions and thus both were well matched with respect to effort. There were no significant effects by ‘condition’ in any of the physiological responses examined (all p > 0.05). The present study shows that, when both effort and duration are matched, resistance training (leg press) and ‘cardio’ exercise (recumbent cycle ergometry) may produce largely similar responses in VO2, RER, blood lactate, energy expenditure, muscle swelling, and electromyography. It therefore seems reasonable to suggest that both may offer a similar stimulus to produce chronic physiological adaptations in outcomes such as cardiorespiratory fitness, strength, and hypertrophy. Future work should look to both replicate the study conducted here with respect to the same, and additional physiological measures, and rigorously test the comparative efficacy of effort and duration matched exercise of differing modalities with respect to chronic improvements in physiological fitness.

Effort and duration matched ‘High Intensity Interval Training’ using cycle ergometry compared to leg press resistance training

“…On average the ratings of perceived effort reported in the present study were around ~1 point lower than those reported by , though in their study the exercise protocols were designed to be high, but not necessarily maximal. Despite this, in the present study participants perceptions of discomfort were around ~2-3 points higher than those reported by Steele et al (2018). This suggests the possibility of an exponential increase in discomfort when efforts are near maximal in both exercise modailities, but that this response may be similar between them.…”

“…The comparative strength adaptations may result from similar neuromuscular stimulus in both modalities when effort and duration are analogous. Both Steele et al (2018) and Kuznetsov et al (2011) have reported findings suggesting that motor unit recruitment may be similar between modalities and indeed effort has been argued to arise from the central motor command required to drive the musculature to perform the task being attempted (Marcora, 2009;Pageaux et al, 2016). Thus, it is thought that effort, both that required and perceived, is likely intrinsically linked to motor command and motor unit recruitment (de Morree et al, 2012;Guo et al, 2017) and possibly due to Henneman's size principle (Potvin and Fuglevand, 2017).…”

“…Acute studies that have matched conditions by effort and duration have found similar physiological responses between resistance training and 'cardio' modalities Vilaça-Alves et al, 2016). Steele et al (2018) examined the effect of modality upon acute physiological response during high intensity of effort interval based exercises; leg press exercise (4 x 12RM using 2 seconds concentric and 3 seconds eccentric repetition durations thus meaning each set lasted ~ 60 seconds), and cycle ergometry (4x 60 seconds bouts using 6 resistance level permitting 80 -100 rpm but culminating with being unable to sustain the minimum cadence for the final 5 -10 seconds). V̇O2, respiratory exchange ratio, blood lactate accumulation, estimated energy expenditure, muscle swelling, electromyographic activity and perceptual responses were evaluated in both conditions and there were no significant effects by condition in any physiological responses examined.…”

Comparisons of Resistance Training and “Cardio” Exercise Modalities as Countermeasures to Microgravity-Induced Physical Deconditioning: New Perspectives and Lessons Learned From Terrestrial Studies

“…They examined the oxygen uptake responses between the two modalities finding no differences and concluded that the manner of exercise performance, and not the modality, was likely the primary determinant of this physiological response. More recently, Steele et al (2018) compared the acute response of lower body “cardio” (recumbent cycle ergometry) to resistance exercise (leg press) during high intensity of effort tasks, matched for effort and duration (4 × 60 s sprints for “cardio” and 4 × 12 repetition maximum for resistance exercise with time matched using a 2 s concentric and 3 s eccentric repetition duration). They considered a range of physiological responses including oxygen consumption, respiratory exchange ratio, blood lactate, estimated energy expenditure, muscle swelling, and electromyography finding no differences between the modalities for any outcome.…”

“…They considered a range of physiological responses including oxygen consumption, respiratory exchange ratio, blood lactate, estimated energy expenditure, muscle swelling, and electromyography finding no differences between the modalities for any outcome. Steele et al (2018) examined only amplitude based electromyographical variables but Noble et al (2019) have also examined normalized (to % max) electromyographic amplitudes, which appear to be greater during typical resistance training (single leg knee extension) compared with “cardio” mode (single leg cycle ergometry) exercise performed to volitional failure. Unlike Steele et al (2018), time to task failure in Noble et al (2019) was unclear and thus, it is unknown if it was similar between conditions.…”