A comparison of three methods of analyzing post-exercise oxygen consumption

Area of Science:

• Exercise Physiology
• Sports Science
• Cardiorespiratory Fitness

Background:

• Post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC) is crucial for assessing exercise adaptations.
• Calculating the area under the curve (AUC) of oxygen consumption over time is a common method.
• Different AUC calculation methods may influence the interpretation of EPOC changes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate if varying AUC calculation methods affect the interpretation of post-exercise oxygen consumption changes.
• To compare the efficacy of total, incremental, and positive incremental AUC methods in detecting training-induced adaptations.

Main Methods:

• Forty-three sedentary, moderately obese adults participated in a 9-month supervised aerobic exercise program.
• Oxygen consumption was measured at baseline and after 9 months.
• Three AUC calculation methods (total, incremental, positive incremental) were applied to post-exercise oxygen consumption data.

Main Results:

• The total AUC method showed a significant change in post-exercise oxygen consumption after training (5.36 ± 10.90 L).
• Incremental and positive incremental AUC methods did not reveal significant changes.
• A moderate-to-high correlation (r=0.67) was found between baseline and 9-month values for the total AUC method.

Conclusions:

• The method chosen for calculating AUC can alter the interpretation of training effects on post-exercise oxygen consumption.
• The total AUC method demonstrates a greater capacity to detect training-induced changes in EPOC compared to incremental methods.