Effect of feeding and fasting on excess postexercise oxygen consumption

This study was undertaken to determine the effect of fasting on the magnitude and time course of the excess postexercise O2 consumption (EPOC). Six lean untrained subjects were studied in the fasted state for 7 h after a previous strenuous exercise bout (80 min at 75% of maximal O2 uptake) and in a control experiment. The results were compared with identical control and exercise experiments where the subjects were fed a 4.5-MJ test meal after 2 h of rest. EPOC was calculated as the difference in O2 uptake between the corresponding control and exercise experiments. The total EPOC (0-7 h postexercise) was 20.9 +/- 4.5 (fasting) and 21.1 +/- 3.6 liters (food, NS). A significant prolonged EPOC component was observed in the fasted and in the fed state. The thermic effect of food (TEF) was calculated from O2 consumption and respiratory exchange ratio as the difference in energy expenditure between the corresponding food and fasting experiments. The total TEF (0-5 h postprandial) was 321 +/- 32.0 (control) and 280 +/- 37.7 kJ/5 h (exercise, NS). It is concluded that the prolonged component of EPOC is present in the fasting state. Furthermore, no major interaction effects between food intake and exercise on the postexercise O2 consumption could be detected.