The Effect of Circuit Weight Training on Cardiovascular Function in Healthy Sedentary Males

Purpose. This study evaluated the change in cardiovascular function after circuit weight training (CWT) as compared to cycle training (CYCLE) using the noninvasive measures of the slope of the O2/heart rate change (O2/HR) and maximum O2 pulse (O2Pmax). Methods. Fourteen normal sedentary men were enrolled in a 10-week training program of either cycling or CWT. All 14 men had cardiopulmonary exercise tests pre- and post-training. Results. Although both groups significantly increased their maximum oxygen uptake (O2max) pre- to post-training (CWT, P <.05 and CYCLE, P <.005), when O2max was indexed to lean body weight, it became non-significant (P =.15) in the CWT group. Both O2/HR and O2Pmax increased significantly (P <.001) pre- to post-training in the CYCLE group, but not the CWT group (P =.59 and .16, respectively). Conclusions. Circuit weight training leads to mild to moderate increases in aerobic capacity that are associated with increases in muscle mass, but not improved cardiovascular function by noninvasive measures.