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Oxygen Demand and Energy Cost of Intense Muscular Activity in Humans

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Abstract

Changes in the kinetics of aerobic and anaerobic metabolism were studied in 26 highly profiled athletes performing bicycle ergometer exercise. The different intensity exercise sessions included those with a critical intensity corresponding to the maximum oxygen consumption up to value of the maximum anaerobic intensity of about 10 MMR units. The maximal aerobic metabolism was maintained in the exercises with a relative intensity of 1.0 to 2.5 MMR units. At the higher values of the exercise relative intensity, the oxygen current consumption exponentially decreased. An increase in the rate of anaerobic glycolytic energy production, which was first recorded at the threshold of anaerobic metabolism (W AT = 0.5 MMR units), increased linearly with a further increase in the exercise relative intensity up to the level of the exhaustion intensity (W ex = 4.7 MMR units). A sharp increase in the rate of an alactic anaerobic process was found at the relative intensity values of 2.5 MMR units, and this increase grew linearly up to values of the maximal anaerobic intensity (W max = 9.5 MMR units).

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  1. Russian State Academy of Physical Culture, Moscow, Russia

    N. I. Volkov & I. A. Savel'ev

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Volkov, N.I., Savel'ev, I.A. Oxygen Demand and Energy Cost of Intense Muscular Activity in Humans. Human Physiology 28, 454–465 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1016538100568

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