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Physiological effects of variations in spontaneously chosen crank rate during incremental upper-body exercise

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European Journal of Applied Physiology and Occupational Physiology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The aims of the present study were: first, to assess the interindividual variations of a spontaneously chosen crank rate (SCCR) in relation to the power developed during an incremental upper body exercise on an arm ergometer set at a constant power regime, and second, to compare heart rate (HR) responses, expired minute ventilation ( E) and oxygen consumption (O2) when the pedal rates were chosen spontaneously (TSCCR) or set at ±10% of the freely chosen rates (T+10% and T−10%, respectively). The mean pedal rate values were linearly related (P < 0.01) with the power developed during arm cranking (r = 0.96), although large variations of pedalling rate strategies were observed between subjects. Maximal power (MP) and time to exhaustion values were significantly higher (P < 0.05) during TSCCR than during T+10% and T−10%. Peak O2 values were significantly higher (P < 0.05) in T+10% than in TSCCR and T−10%. The increase in HR, E, and O2 mean values, in relation to the increase in the power developed, was significantly higher (P < 0.05) when the pedal rate was set at plus 10% of the SCCR (T±10%) than in the two other conditions. The findings of the present study suggest that the use of an electromagnetically braked ergometer, which automatically adjusts the resistance component to maintain a constant work rate, should be used in order to achieve the highest MP values during an incremental upper body exercise. A 10% increase of the SCCR should be used in order to provide the highest peak O2 value.

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Accepted: 5 May 1997

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Weissland, T., Pelayo, P., Vanvelcenaher, J. et al. Physiological effects of variations in spontaneously chosen crank rate during incremental upper-body exercise. Eur J Appl Physiol 76, 428–433 (1997). https://doi.org/10.1007/s004210050272

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s004210050272

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