Mj. Berry et al., EFFECTS OF BODY-MASS ON EXERCISE EFFICIENCY AND VO2 DURING STEADY-STATE CYCLING, Medicine and science in sports and exercise, 25(9), 1993, pp. 1031-1037
Oxygen uptake (VO2) and exercise efficiency during cycle ergometer exe
rcise are considered to be independent of body mass. To determine the
validity of this assumption, 50 females ranging in body mass from 41.5
-98.9 kg exercised on a cycle ergometer with no load at 60 rpm and at
25, 50, 75, and 100 W at 60 and 90 rpm. Gross VO2 and efficiency, net
VO2 and efficiency, work VO2 and efficiency, and delta efficiency were
computed. Gross and net VO2 were significantly and positively correla
ted with body mass at all work rates and pedal frequencies. Gross effi
ciency was significantly and negatively correlated with body mass at a
ll work rates and pedal frequencies. Work VO2 and body mass were not s
ignificantly correlated. The correlations between work and delta effic
iency and body mass were not significant. Since body mass was found to
be significantly correlated with gross VO2, the following equation wa
s developed using stepwise multiple regression to predict gross VO2: V
O2 (ml.min-1) = 10.9 (work rate, W) + 8.2 (pedal rate, rpm) + 8.3 (bod
y mass, kg) - 559.6. These data suggest that body mass should be consi
dered when estimating the oxygen uptake during cycle ergometer exercis
e.