Abstract
Short-duration passive cycling, during which a motor drives the pedals, elevates metabolic energy expenditure. Our purpose was to investigate the feasibility of passive cycling as a physical inactivity countermeasure by quantifying how the number of legs involved, cycling cadence, and habituation influence energy expenditure. Eleven non-cyclists participated. We compared one- and two-leg passive cycling at cadences of 60 and 90 RPM. To investigate if there are habituation effects, we conducted multiple 5-min trials and a prolonged 30-min passive cycling trial. The increase in energy expenditure above rest during passive cycling was significantly greater for two legs compared to one leg (39 vs. 16% at 60 RPM and 96 vs. 45% at 90 RPM). The increase in energy expenditure above rest was greater for 90 versus 60 RPM two-leg passive cycling (96 vs. 39%; p < 0.001). Repeated trials showed no evidence of habituation and the increase in energy expenditure was maintained for the duration of the 30-min trial. In conclusion, energy expenditure during passive cycling is directly related to the number of legs involved and cycling cadence. Two-leg passive cycling at 90 RPM resulted in energy expenditures similar to the walking workstation, suggesting its potential as a physical inactivity countermeasure.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Albright A, Franz M, Hornsby G et al (2000) Exercise and type 2 diabetes. Med Sci Sports Exerc 32(7):1345–1360
Bahnson ER, Horvath SM, Comroe JH (1949) Effects of active and ‘passive’ limb movements upon respiration and O2 consumption in man. J Appl Physiol 2:169–173
Beers EA, Roemmich JN, Epstein LH, Horvath PJ (2008) Increasing passive energy expenditure during clerical work. Eur J Appl Physiol 103:353–360
Bell HJ, Ramsaroop DM, Duffin J (2003) The respiratory effects of two modes of passive exercise. Eur J Appl Physiol 88(6):544–552
Benjamin FB, Peyser L (1964) Physiological effects of active and passive exercise. J Appl Physiol 19:1212–1214
Bey L, Hamilton MT (2003) Suppression of skeletal muscle lipoprotein lipase activity during physical inactivity: a molecular reason to maintain daily low-intensity activity. J Physiol 551(Pt 2):673–682
Brooks GA, Fahey TD, Baldwin KM (2005) Exercise physiology: human bioenergetics and its applications. McGraw Hill, New York, p 345
Burnett AF, Cornelius MW, Dankaerts W, O’sullivan PB (2004) Spinal kinematics and trunk muscle activity in cyclists: a comparison between healthy controls and non-specific chronic low back pain subjects: a pilot investigation. Man Ther 9(4):211–219
Carr LJ, Walaska KA, Marcus BH (2011) Feasibility of a portable pedal exercise machine for reducing sedentary time in the workplace. Br J Sports Med. doi:10.1136/bjsm.2010.079574
De Meersman RE, Zion AS, Weir JP, Lieberman JS, Downey JA (1998) Mechanoreceptors and autonomic responses to movement in humans. Clin Auton Res 8(4):201–205
Dixon ME, Stewart PB, Mills FC, Varvis CJ, Bates DV (1961) Respiratory consequences of passive body movements. J Appl Physiol 16:30–34
Dunstan DW, Barr EL, Healy GN et al (2010) Television viewing time and mortality: the Australian diabetes, obesity, and lifestyle study (AusDiab). Circulation 121(3):384–391
Hamilton MT, Hamilton DG, Zderic TW (2007) Role of low energy expenditure and sitting in obesity, metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. Diabetes 56:2655–2667
Hamilton MT, Healy GN, Dunstan DW, Zderic TW, Owen N (2008) Too little exercise and too much sitting: inactivity physiology and the need for new recommendations on sedentary behavior. Curr Cardiovasc Risk Rep 2:292–298
Haskell WL, Lee I, Russell RP et al (2007) Physical activity and public health: updated recommendations for adults from the American College of Sports Medicine and the American Heart Association. Med Sci Sports Exerc 39(8):1423–1434
Healy GN, Dunstan DW, Salmon J et al (2007) Objectively measured light-intensity physical activity is independently associated with 2-h plasma glucose. Diabetes Care 30(6):1384–1390
Healy GN, Dunstan DW, Salmon J, Shaw JE, Zimmet PZ, Owen N (2008) Television viewing time and continuous metabolic risk in physically active adults. Med Sci Sports Exerc 40(4):639–645
Hill JO, Wyatt HR, Reed GW, Peters JC (2003) Obesity and the environment: where do we go from here? Science 299(5608):853–855
Hoffman M, Schrader J, Applegate T, Koceja D (1998) Unilateral postural control of the functionally dominant and nondominant extremities of healthy subjects. J Athl Train 33(4):319–322
Krzeminski K, Kruk B, Nazar K, Ziemba AW, Cybulski G, Niewiadomski W (2000) Cardiovascular, metabolic and plasma catecholamine responses to passive and active exercises. J Physiol Pharmacol 51:267–278
Lanningham-Foster L, Nysse LJ, Levine JA (2003) Labor saved, calories lost: the energetic impact of domestic labor-saving devices. Obes Res 11(10):1178–1181
Levine JA, Miller JM (2007) The energy expenditure of using a “walk-and-work” desk for office workers with obesity. Br J Sports Med 41:558–561
Muraki S, Tsunawake N (2008) Relationship between pedaling rate and physiological responses during passive leg cycling. Isokinet Exerc Sci 16:19–24
Owen N, Healy GN, Matthews CE, Dunstan DW (2010) Too much sitting: the population health science of sedentary behavior. Exerc Sport Sci Rev 38(3):105–113
Peronnet F, Massicotte D (1991) Table of nonprotein respiratory quotient: an update. Can J Sport Sci 16(1):23–29
Reger M, Kram R, Byrnes W (2009) Estimates of cycling efficiency at low power outputs. Med Sci Sports Exerc 41:85
Scott AC, Francis DP, Davies LC, Ponikowski P, Coats AJS, Pieploi MF (2000) Contribution of skeletal muscle ‘ergoreceptors’ in the human leg to respiratory control in chronic heart failure. J Physiol 529:863–870
Straker L, Levine J, Campbell A (2009) The effects of walking and cycling computer workstations on keyboard and mouse performance. Hum Factors 51(6):831–844
Thompson WG, Foster RC, Elde DS, Levine JA (2008) Feasibility of a walking workstation to increase daily walking. Br J Sports Med 42(3):225–228
Waisbren SJ, Whiting CS, Nadel ER (1990) Effects of passive limb movement on pulmonary ventilation. Yale J Biol Med 63:549–556
Conflict of interest
The authors have no conflict of interests to declare and received no funding from outside sources.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
Communicated by David C. Poole.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Peterman, J.E., Kram, R. & Byrnes, W.C. Factors affecting the increased energy expenditure during passive cycling. Eur J Appl Physiol 112, 3341–3348 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-012-2325-9
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-012-2325-9