Excess post‐exercise oxygen consumption in untrained men following exercise of equal energy expenditure: comparisons of upper and lower body exercise

AIM: This study assessed excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC) following continuous 200- kcal bouts of upper body exercise (UBE) and lower body exercise (LBE). METHODS: Ten untrained men (age: 25.7 +/- 5.83 years; arm VO(2peak): 2.2 +/- 0.25 l/min; 21.5 +/- 4.35 ml/kg/min; leg VO(2peak): 3.1 +/- 0.38 l/min; 30.7 +/- 7.79 ml/kg/min) exercised at 60% mode-specific VO(2) peak using either an arm crank or a leg cycle protocol (counterbalanced order with 48 h between). Baseline VO(2) was monitored for 30 min. EPOC was measured until baseline was re-established. RESULTS: EPOC magnitude and duration were significantly greater (p < 0.05) following LBE (2.93 +/- 1.4 l/min; 16.5 +/- 7.4 min) compared with UBE (1.89 +/- 0.7 l/min; 11.5 +/- 6.1 min). CONCLUSIONS: Results indicate that leg exercise elicited a greater EPOC magnitude and duration compared with arm exercise of the same relative intensity and energy expenditure.