Excess Postexercise Oxygen Consumption is Unaffected by the Resistance and Aerobic Exercise Order in an Exercise Session

The main purpose of this study was to compare the magnitude and duration of excess postexercise oxygen consumption (EPOC) after 2 exercise sessions with different exercise mode orders, resistance followed by aerobic exercise (R-A); aerobic by resistance exercise (A-R). Seven young men (19.6 ± 1.4 years) randomly underwent the 2 sessions. Aerobic exercise was performed on a treadmill for 30 minutes (80-85% of reserve heart rate). Resistance exercise consisted of 3 sets of 10 repetition maximum on 5 exercises. Previous to the exercise sessions, V(O2), heart rate, V(CO2), and respiratory exchange rate (RER) were measured for 15 minutes and again during recovery from exercise for 60 minutes. The EPOC magnitude was not significantly different between R-A (5.17 ± 2.26 L) and A-R (5.23 ± 2.48 L). Throughout the recovery period (60 minutes), V(O2) and HR values were significantly higher than those observed in the pre-exercise period (p < 0.05) in both exercise sessions. In the first 10 minutes of recovery, V(CO2) and RER declined to pre-exercise levels. Moreover, V(CO2) and RER values in A-R were significantly lower than in R-A. In conclusion, the main result of this study suggests that exercise mode order does not affect the EPOC magnitude and duration. Therefore, it is not necessary for an individual to consider the EPOC when making the decision as to which exercise mode is better to start a training session.