ORIGINAL ARTICLE doi: 10.1111/j.1463-1326.2006.00679.x
Excess post-exercise oxygen consumption in untrained men
following exercise of equal energy expenditure: comparisons
of upper and lower body exercise
S. Lyons,
1
M. Richardson,
2
P. Bishop,
2
J. Smith,
2
H. Heath
3
and J. Giesen
4
1
Department of Physical Education and Recreation, Western Kentucky University, Bowling Green, KY, USA
2
Department of Kinesiology, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL, USA
3
Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL, USA
4
Evaluation and Assessment Laboratory, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL, USA
Aim: 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.
Keywords: duration, magnitude, metabolism, post-exercise
Received 4 August 2006; accepted 20 September 2006
Introduction
The period immediately following exercise is an often
neglected component of an exercise program. Oxygen
consumed above resting levels during the post-exercise
recovery period aswell as during exercise both contribute
to caloric expenditure. Burning excess calories through
exercise above those calories consumed, and thus attain-
ing a negative caloric balance, is essential to achieve
weight loss. Excess post-exercise oxygen consumption
(EPOC) is the term given to the elevated metabolic rate
immediately following a bout of exercisewherein, as oxy-
genconsumptiongraduallydropsback tobaseline, acidity
of theblood (pH) is corrected, core temperature is adjusted
back to resting levels, ATP/phosphocreatine (PC) levels
are restored and oxygen saturation of the blood returns to
normal levels [1]. Previous research on EPOC has focused
primarily on cycle and treadmill ergometry [2–14],
although several researchershave examinedEPOC follow-
ingvariousprotocolsof resistanceexerciseaswell [15–17].
The physiology of upper body exercise (UBE) and its
numerous differences to the lower body response has
been thoroughly researched and reviewed [18].Theupper
body is characterized by a smallermusclemass compared
with the lower body [18], and a number of studies and
reviews have reported that UBE compared with LBE
results in a higher arterial pressure, lower stroke volume,
greater catecholamine release, greater fluid volume shift
Correspondence:
Scott Lyons, Department of Physical Education and Recreation, Western Kentucky University, 1906 College Heights Boulevard
#11089, Bowling Green, KY 42101-1089, USA.
E-mail:
scott.lyons@wku.edu
#
2006 The Authors
Journal Compilation # 2006 Blackwell Publishing Ltd
Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism, 9, 2007, 889–894
j
889

and higher heart rate (HR) at a given relative VO
2
during
sub-maximal exercise [18–20]. These studies have also
observed a lower peak oxygen uptake (VO
2peak
) and
lower peak HR (HR
peak
) during UBE compared with
exercise incorporating either the lower or total body
[18–20]. Despite these known physiological responses
to UBE and their associated role in post-exercise recov-
ery, little is known regarding EPOC generated from arm
exercise, and no studies to date have examined differ-
ences in EPOC following UBE and LBE when energy
expenditure is equivalent between the two exercises
[19–20].
The purpose of this study was to determine whether
there is a difference in magnitude and/or duration of
EPOCbetweenUBE andLBEwhen using equivalent calo-
ric expenditure with aerobically untrained subjects and
todeterminewhether there is adifference inpost-exercise
substrate utilization between these protocols.
Methods
Subjects
Ten men between the ages of 18 and 44 years voluntarily
completed this study. All subjects were male to rule out
gender differences and eliminate the potential impact of
menstrual cycle variations on the dependent variables.
All 10 volunteers who comprised the original sample
completed the study, thus no loss from the original sam-
ple was experienced. The subjects were recruited from
the local university and city community, and consisted
of individuals who were already participating in at least
30min ofmoderate recreational physical activity onmost
days of the week. A Physical Activity Readiness Ques-
tionnaire and a Health Status Questionnaire was com-
pleted by the subjects to screen for any health risk, and
American College of SportsMedicine (ACSM) [21] guide-
lines were used to eliminate any potential subjects with
known risk factors. Each subject also completed awritten
informed consent form consistent with the requirements
of the University of Alabama Institutional Review Board.
Preliminary Testing
Subjects reported to the laboratory for preliminary testing
two times. During the initial visit, a thorough explanation
of the study was given, along with completion of initial
screening procedures (health status and physical activity
readiness questionnaires) and instructions regarding sub-
sequent lab sessions. Subjects were then assessed for
height, weight and per cent body fat. Per cent body fat
was measured based on age and the sum of three skinfold
sites [22] (chest, abdomenand thigh) usingLange skinfold
calipers. Subjects then completed one maximal exertion
exercise trial, either leg cycling or arm cranking. A Mon-
ark cyclewas used for bothmaximal exertion trials. It was
placed on the floor for the leg cycling trial and mounted
on a table for the arm cranking exercise. Whichever max-
imal exertion test was not administered during the initial
visit was administered during the second visit, and these
were conducted in a counterbalanced order. The second
visit only consisted of the second maximal exertion trial.
For the arm crank test, each subject’s initialworkloadwas
set at 12.5watts and increased 12.5watts every 2min [19–
20]. For the leg cycle test, each subject warmed up for
2 min at 50 watts and then increased to 70 watts for 2 min.
Thereafter, workload increased 35watts every 2min [12].
VO
2
peak was the highest VO
2
measured during each
test. Subjects cranked at a rate of 50 rpms for the arm
crank test and pedalled at a rate of 70 rpms for the leg
cycle test. Both maximal exertion tests were necessary
to establish mode-specific peak oxygen uptake for each
subject. The maximal exertion tests were separated by
at least 48 h to allow for full recovery. During these and
subsequent exercise trials, metabolic measurements
were obtained using a two-way, low-resistance breath-
ing valve and a respiratory mask, which covered the
mouth and nose. Expired gases were analysed using
a Vacumed Vista Mini-CPX (Vacumed, Ventura, CA,
USA). An HR monitor was also worn during testing
(Polar Vantage XL; Port Washington, NY, USA), and HR
was monitored using telemetry. Carbon dioxide and
oxygen analysers were calibrated before each test, using
calibration gases of known concentration. The flow
meter was calibrated using a Hans Rudolph Series 4900
7.0-l Calibration Syringe (Hans Rudolph, Kansas City,
MO, USA). Rating of perceived exertion was determined
at the end of each minute during each test, using Borg’s
15-point scale [23]. Each maximal exertion test was ter-
minated when the subject met any one of the following
criteria: (i) when volitional exhaustion was reached,
(ii) when physical signs/symptoms that indicated that
the exercise test should be stopped appeared [21],
(iii) when the subject could no longer maintain the re-
quired pedal or crank speed and (iv) when the subject
requested to stop for any other reason. Any potential
subject who failed to attain a peak oxygen consumption
as described by the ACSM guidelines [21] was elimi-
nated from further testing.
Resting Metabolic Rate Measurement
Each experimental protocol was preceded by a measure-
mentof restingmetabolic rate (RMR).Thesemeasurements
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Assessment of EPOC following UBE and LBE S. Lyons et al.
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#
2006 The Authors
Journal Compilation # 2006 Blackwell Publishing Ltd