As a bicycle owner, you’re no stranger to the exhilaration of the open street, the rhythm of the pedal strokes, and the pursuit of peak efficiency. However do you know that the advantages of your journey can prolong past the street? On this toolbox article, we’ll be taught extra about extra post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC) and see if it’s a useful device for weight reduction, or only a fashionable health buzzword.
Climbing intervals
What’s EPOC?
Extra Submit-Train Oxygen Consumption (EPOC), also known as the “afterburn impact,” is a physiological phenomenon that describes the elevated oxygen consumption and power expenditure that happens after an train session has been accomplished. In different phrases, EPOC represents the extra quantity of oxygen the physique must return to its pre-exercise state and recuperate from the stress and power calls for of the exercise.
Determine 1. Oxygen consumption throughout & after train. Discover the ‘Oxygen deficit’ at first of train should be repaid following train as ‘EPOC’. Taken from Arney, et al., 2019.
EPOC happens as a result of train locations numerous stresses on the physique, together with elevated coronary heart price, elevated respiration, and the breakdown of power substrates like fats & carbohydrates. After the train is accomplished, the physique continues to eat oxygen at an elevated price to:
- Replenish oxygen shops throughout the physique.
- Clear accrued metabolic byproducts
- Restore the physique to homeostasis, together with physique temperature, coronary heart price, and different physiological processes
EPOC ends in extra calorie expenditure and may persist for a time period, relying on elements like train depth & period. Excessive-intensity and interval-based workout routines are thought to supply a extra pronounced and prolonged EPOC in comparison with lower-intensity, steady train. We’ll evaluation a 2016 research that investigated the function of train depth & period on the afterburn impact and see if EPOC could be a main contributor to fats loss and physique composition modifications.
Dash interval coaching
What did they take a look at?
Researchers needed to know how train kind impacts EPOC and total power expenditure (EE). They in contrast 3 various kinds of train to a non-exercise management situation:
- Regular State Train (SSE) – 30 min @ 80% most Coronary heart Price (HRmax). This may be analogous to a excessive zone 2 endurance journey.
- Excessive-Depth Interval Train (HIE) – 4 x 4min @ 95% HRmax with 3 min lively restoration between efforts. This may be much like ‘Seiler 4 x 4 intervals’
- Dash Interval Train (SIE) – 6 x 30 sec ‘Wingate’ sprints with 4 min lively restoration. Members had been inspired to journey has exhausting as potential for every 30s dash. I ought to level out that one of these train is actually not straightforward, nor enjoyable. In truth, SIE resulted in 3 members failing to finish the research.
Who did they take a look at?
13 recreationally lively males had been recruited to take part, although solely ten would full the research. In comparison with different cyclist-specific research we’ve reviewed prior to now with elite stage cyclists, these members are barely much less properly skilled:
- Age: 24 +/- 4 years
- Weight: 73.1 +/- 8.2 kg
- Relative VO2max: 45.9 +/- 7.2 mL/kg/min
What did they discover?
For 3 hours after train, cumulative EPOC & internet power expenditure had been larger from dash intervals than from regular state or excessive depth intervals, suggesting that the “afterburn impact” from dash coaching was larger than high-intensity intervals or regular state train.
Determine 2. Oxygen consumption (in L/min) in opposition to time (in minutes) for the three train situations, relative to a non-exercise management. Discover that every one 3 train varieties resulted in some EPOC, however Dash Interval coaching (white squares) resulted within the biggest internet quantity of EPOC. Picture taken from Tucker, et al., 2016.
As you may anticipate, oxygen consumption was larger throughout train for the regular state & high-intensity train situations, in comparison with dash coaching. There was no vital distinction between SSE & HIE. In different phrases, the dash interval train used the least quantity of power throughout train.
Apparently, regardless of larger EPOC and EE following train in dash train, regular state train nonetheless resulted within the biggest complete oxygen consumed & internet power expended. There was additionally a development for extra oxygen consumed and larger power use in regular state in comparison with high-intensity interval train, nevertheless it didn’t attain statistical significance. The outcomes are well-summarized within the determine under:
Determine 3. Oxygen consumed throughout train (black) and after train – e.g. EPOC (white) for the three completely different train situations: regular state train (SSE), high-intensity interval train (HIE), and dash interval train (SIE). Regardless of SIE having considerably extra EPOC, SSE nonetheless resulted within the biggest complete oxygen consumed. Picture taken from Tucker, et al., 2016).
So… What’s the Verdict?
Dash Interval coaching actually does elicit a larger EPOC than each regular state train and high-intensity interval train. Nonetheless, the train power expenditure for dash coaching, even with 6 maximal efforts, was considerably lower than that for SSE and HIE. Additionally, the mixed train + put up train internet power expenditure was lowest for SIE, which means that EPOC following high-intensity interval and dash interval coaching is unlikely to be the most important contributor to fats loss and physique composition modifications.
Subsequently, together with some high-intensity and dash depth intervals could be a useful addition to your coaching and ends in elevated EPOC. Nonetheless – based mostly on the outcomes of the research we reviewed right this moment – there may be nonetheless actually an argument that steady moderate-intensity train can improve your complete power expenditure, which is a serious contributing issue to weight reduction.
That’s all for this month! Keep secure, journey quick, and I’ll see you subsequent time!
References
Arney, Blaine E. M.S., ACSM-EP; Foster, Carl Ph.D., FACSM, MAACVPR; Porcari, John Ph.D., FACSM, MAACVPR, ACSM-RCEP. EPOC: IS IT REAL? DOES IT MATTER?. ACSM’s Well being & Health Journal 23(4):p 9-13, 7/8 2019.
Tucker WJ, Angadi SS, Gaesser GA. Extra Postexercise Oxygen Consumption After Excessive-Depth and Dash Interval Train, and Steady Regular-State Train. J Energy Cond Res. 2016 Nov;30(11):3090-3097.
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