One-legged pedalling compared with two-legged pedalling on a bicycle ergometer as a basis for assessing physical condition in terms of the cardio-respiratory response to exercise

Abstract

An assessment has been made of the linearity of the relationship between oxygen uptake and cardio-respiratory parameters measured during pedalling with one leg on an upright bicycle ergometer. Four young male subjects pedalled at four submaximal grades. Individual regression lines of heart rate on oxygen uptake; minute ventilation on oxygen uptake; and carbon dioxide on oxygen uptake were found to have significantly high correlation coefficients. A comparison was made in 21 healthy males, of mean age 34 years (range 20-61 years), between the effects of pedaliling with one leg or two legs on the heart rate, minute ventilation and carbon dioxide production were significantly higher during work with one leg then with two legs, but there was no significant difference in the heart rates. The oxygen cost of pedalling with one leg instead of two was also higher. The comparisons were made at a standard oxygen uptake of 1.0 1 min minus 1.