Maximal oxygen uptake during exercise with various combinations of arm and leg work

Abstract

Oxygen uptake (VO2) was determined in 10 males during the following types of maximal exercise (work time: about 5 min): uphill running, bicycling, arm work (cranking), and combined arm work and bicycling (A + L). The A + L exercise was performed in four different ways, the arms doing 10%, 20%, 30%, or 40% of the same total rate of work; and also with the maximal bicycle work load plus either maximal or submaximal arm work. VO2 was the same in running as in all types of A + L exercise, except when the arm work load was 10% and 40% of the total rate of work, where VO2 was 2.5% (P less than 0.05) and 9.4% (P less than 0.001) lower, respectively. Bicycle VO2 was lower than VO2 in running but equal to A + L VO2 when arm work intensity was 40% of the total rate of work. It is concluded that VO2 during maximal exercise a) to a certain extent depends on the exercising muscle mass, b) is lower than the oxygen-consuming potential of the muscles involved in A + L exercise, and c) in A + L exercise is influenced by the ratio of arm work to total rate of work and the subject's fitness for arm work and bicycling.