Excess postexercise oxygen consumption is unaffected by the resistance and aerobic exercise order in an exercise session

Acute effects of different administration order of stretching exercises: effects on range of motion and cross-over effect

BACKGROUND

The aim of this manuscript is to investigate if stretching exercise administration order may influence outcomes pertinent to range of movement (ROM).

METHODS

A total sample of 108 participants was randomized into five groups. Eight sets of unilateral static stretching (SS) of 30s duration each with a 30s rest were administered to the right leg. One group underwent SS of the knee extensors (KE), another to the knee flexors (KF), another first to the KE and then to the KF, another first to the KF and then to the KE while the last group was used as control (CG). Each group was assessed for ROM of both lower limbs for either the KE and KF motion (passive hip extention [PHE] and passive straight leg raise [PSLR], respectively). Measures were assessed before (T0), immediately after (T1), and 15 minutes after the intervention (T2).

RESULTS

No differences were observed for time (T0 vs. T1 vs. T2) for all measures in the CG for both limbs. Time-x-group interactions were observed only in the intervention limb (P<0.0007 and 0.004, ES 0.73 and 0.55, for KE and KF, respectively). Within the intervention limb, a significant increase in the PHE was observed from T0 to T1 only in the KE and KF/KE groups. For measures of the PSLR, a significant increase was observed from T0 to T1 only in the KF and KE/KF groups. No differences neither for time or group were observed in the control limb.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results highlight that exercise administration order has an effect on ROM outcomes. Measures of ROM significantly increase only for the last stretched muscle in each intervention group. No crossover effect was observed in the contralateral limb.

Order of same-day concurrent training influences some indices of power development, but not strength, lean mass, or aerobic fitness in healthy, moderately-active men after 9 weeks of training

Background

The importance of concurrent exercise order for improving endurance and resistance adaptations remains unclear, particularly when sessions are performed a few hours apart. We investigated the effects of concurrent training (in alternate orders, separated by ~3 hours) on endurance and resistance training adaptations, compared to resistance-only training.

Materials and methods

Twenty-nine healthy, moderately-active men (mean ± SD; age 24.5 ± 4.7 y; body mass 74.9 ± 10.8 kg; height 179.7 ± 6.5 cm) performed either resistance-only training (RT, n = 9), or same-day concurrent training whereby high-intensity interval training was performed either 3 hours before (HIIT+RT, n = 10) or after resistance training (RT+HIIT, n = 10), for 3 d^.wk^-1 over 9 weeks. Training-induced changes in leg press 1-repetition maximal (1-RM) strength, countermovement jump (CMJ) performance, body composition, peak oxygen uptake (V˙O2peak), aerobic power (W˙peak), and lactate threshold (W˙LT) were assessed before, and after both 5 and 9 weeks of training.

Results

After 9 weeks, all training groups increased leg press 1-RM (~24–28%) and total lean mass (~3-4%), with no clear differences between groups. Both concurrent groups elicited similar small-to-moderate improvements in all markers of aerobic fitness (V˙O2peak ~8–9%; W˙LT ~16-20%; W˙peak ~14-15%). RT improved CMJ displacement (mean ± SD, 5.3 ± 6.3%), velocity (2.2 ± 2.7%), force (absolute: 10.1 ± 10.1%), and power (absolute: 9.8 ± 7.6%; relative: 6.0 ± 6.6%). HIIT+RT elicited comparable improvements in CMJ velocity only (2.2 ± 2.7%). Compared to RT, RT+HIIT attenuated CMJ displacement (mean difference ± 90%CI, -5.1 ± 4.3%), force (absolute: -8.2 ± 7.1%) and power (absolute: -6.0 ± 4.7%). Only RT+HIIT reduced absolute fat mass (mean ± SD, -11.0 ± 11.7%).

Conclusions

In moderately-active males, concurrent training, regardless of the exercise order, presents a viable strategy to improve lower-body maximal strength and total lean mass comparably to resistance-only training, whilst also improving indices of aerobic fitness. However, improvements in CMJ displacement, force, and power were attenuated when RT was performed before HIIT, and as such, exercise order may be an important consideration when designing training programs in which the goal is to improve lower-body power.

Oxygen consumption during concurrent training: influence of intra-session exercise sequence and aerobic exercise modality

To compare the acute effects of different intra-session exercise sequences and aerobic exercise modalities during concurrent training sessions on oxygen consumption (VO₂) and energy expenditure (EE) in young women. Eleven young women volunteered to participate in this study and underwent tests of their dynamic strength and a maximal incremental test on both the treadmill and cycle ergometer. Four concurrent training sessions were performed: resistance-running (RRu), resistance-cycling (RC), running-resistance (RuR) and cycling-resistance (CR). The aerobic exercise lasted 30 minutes and was performed at a heart rate equivalent to 95% of the second ventilatory threshold. The resistance exercise lasted approximately 21 minutes and consisted of 4 sets of 10 RM in each exercise. The VO₂ was continuously evaluated through the portable gas analyser. No differences were found in the VO₂ between the intra-session exercise sequence independently of aerobic modality (i.e., RRu vs. RuR, and RC vs. CR), and the sessions with the running aerobic exercise showed greater VO₂ than sessions using cycling aerobic exercise in both exercise sequences (VO_2aerobic (ml · kg^-1 · min-¹) – RRu: 27.5; RuR: 27.1; RC: 20.2; CR: 20.8). The present study showed that the intra-session exercise sequence during concurrent training does not influence VO₂. However, the optimal combination of resistance and aerobic exercise should include running in order to increase VO₂ and optimize EE.

Relationship between perceived exertion during exercise and subsequent recovery measurements

The return towards resting homeostasis in the post-exercise period has the potential to represent the internal training load of the preceding exercise bout. However, the relative potential of metabolic and autonomic recovery measurements in this role has not previously been established. Therefore the aim of this study was to investigate which of 4 recovery measurements was most closely associated with Borg’s Rating of Perceived Exertion (RPE), a measurement widely acknowledged as an integrated measurement of the homeostatic stress of an exercise bout. A heterogeneous group of trained and untrained participants (n = 36) completed a bout of exercise on the treadmill (3 km at 70% of maximal oxygen uptake) followed by 1 hour of controlled recovery. Expired respiratory gases and heart rate (HR) were measured throughout the exercise and recovery phases of the trial with recovery measurements used to calculate the magnitude of excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC_MAG), the time constant of the EPOC curve (EPOCτ), 1 min heart rate recovery (HRR_60s) and the time constant of the HR recovery curve (HRRτ) for each participant. RPE taken in the last minute of exercise was significantly associated with HRR_60s (r=-0.69), EPOCτ (r=0.52) and HRRτ (r=0.43) but not with EPOC_MAG. This finding suggests that, of the 4 recovery measurements under investigation, HRR_60s shows modest potential to represent inter-individual variation in the homeostatic stress of a standardized exercise bout, in a group with a range of fitness levels.

Sequence effects of combined resistance exercises with step choreography in the same session in women's oxygen uptake during and postexercise

The combination of step choreography (SC) with resistance training exercises (RE) in the same session is common in class fitness rooms populated mainly by women to increase energy expenditure. The aim of this study was to evaluate the differences in the exercise oxygen uptake and postexercise between two different combinations of resistance training exercises and step choreography, regarding the order of execution. Thirteen active women (30·31 ± 4·42 years, 62·02 ± 5·37 kg, 162·65 ± 4·40 cm, 19·14 ± 3·29% body fat) performed two combinations: step choreography before resistance training, where resistance training was divided into two blocks of analysis (10 min each); and step choreography divided into three equal blocks (10 min for each block), before, in the middle and after resistance exercise. There were significant differences (P<0·05) between the two sessions in oxygen uptake postexercise in the period of 0-5 min. A significant increase (P<0·0001) in the oxygen uptake absolute and relative in the heart rate between blocks 1 and 2 of resistance exercise in the two sessions was observed. In the step choreography in blocks, a significant (P = 0·001) decrease between blocks 2 and 3 in the step choreography before resistance exercise and a significant (P<0·05) increase in the heart rate in both sessions between blocks were observed. The combination of step choreography and resistance exercises during the same exercise session is a good strategy to promote an elevation of women's oxygen uptake during and after an exercise session, independent of the sequence used.

Comparing the Effects of Rest and Massage on Return to Homeostasis Following Submaximal Aerobic Exercise: a Case Study

INTRODUCTION

Postexercise massage can be used to help promote recovery from exercise on the cellular level, as well as systemically by increasing parasympathetic activity. No studies to date have been done to assess the effects of massage on postexercise metabolic changes, including excess postexercise oxygen consumption (EPOC). The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of massage recovery and resting recovery on a subject's heart rate variability and selected metabolic effects following a submaximal treadmill exercise session.

METHODS

One healthy 24-year-old female subject performed 30 minutes of submaximal treadmill exercise prior to resting or massage recovery sessions. Metabolic data were collected throughout the exercise sessions and at three 10 minute intervals postexercise. Heart rate variability was evaluated for 10 minutes after each of two 30-minute recovery sessions, either resting or massage.

RESULTS

Heart rate returned to below resting levels (73 bpm) with 30 and 60 minutes of massage recovery (72 bpm and 63 bpm, respectively) compared to 30 and 60 minutes of resting recovery (77 bpm and 74 bpm, respectively). Heart rate variability data showed a more immediate shift to the parasympathetic state following 30 minutes of massage (1.152 LF/HF ratio) versus the 30-minute resting recovery (6.91 LF/HF ratio). It took 60 minutes of resting recovery to reach similar heart rate variability levels (1.216 LF/HF) found after 30 minutes of massage. Ventilations after 30 minutes of massage recovery averaged 7.1 bpm compared to 17.9 bpm after 30 minutes of resting recovery.

CONCLUSIONS

No differences in EPOC were observed through either the resting or massage recovery based on the metabolic data collected. Massage was used to help the subject shift into parasympathetic activity more quickly than rest alone following a submaximal exercise session.