Muscle recruitment patterns regulate physiological responses during exercise of the same intensity

On different days, 10 men performed 30-min sessions of cycling at 50-55% of their peak oxygen uptake (VO(2)); one at 40 rpm and another at 80 rpm. Rectal temperature, heart rate (HR), mean arterial pressure (MAP), plasma lactate, glucose, insulin, and cortisol were measured before exercise, during the 15th and 30th min of exercise, and at 5 and 10 min postexercise. Rating of perceived exertion (RPE) was assessed 15 and 30 min into exercise. Electromyography established cadence-specific different intensities of quadriceps activation during cycling. At minute 30 of exercise and 5 min postexercise, HR was significantly (P < 0.05) greater at 40 rpm than at 80 rpm. MAP remained elevated longer after the 40-rpm than after the 80-rpm bout. Similarly, exercise-induced increases in plasma lactate persisted longer after the 40-rpm bout. Cortisol levels were elevated only at 40 rpm. RPE was higher during the slower cadence. These data indicated that the more pronounced muscle activation pattern associated with pedaling at 40 rpm resulted in greater physiological and psychophysiological stress than that observed at 80 rpm even though VO(2) was the same.