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Updated: Jul 11, 2026
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Conducting Maximal and Submaximal Endurance Exercise Testing to Measure Physiological and Biological Responses to Acute Exercise in Humans
Published on: October 17, 2018
Effects of long-term aerobic exercise on EPOC.
J D LeCheminant1, D J Jacobsen, B W Bailey
1Department of Kinesiology and Health Education, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, Edwardsville, Illinois 66026, United States. jlechem@siue.edu
International Journal of Sports Medicine
|September 21, 2007
Summary
Progressive aerobic exercise influenced excess postexercise oxygen consumption (EPOC) in overweight men but not women over 16 months. EPOC contributed minimally to overall energy expenditure compared to the exercise itself.
Area of Science:
- Exercise Physiology
- Metabolic Health
- Weight Management
Background:
- Excess postexercise oxygen consumption (EPOC) is a factor in energy expenditure after exercise.
- Understanding EPOC's role in weight management is crucial for overweight and obese individuals.
- Long-term effects of progressive aerobic exercise on EPOC require further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the influence of 16 months of progressive aerobic exercise on EPOC.
- To assess the contribution of EPOC to weight management in overweight/obese adults.
- To examine sex-based differences in EPOC response to long-term exercise.
Main Methods:
- A 16-month progressive aerobic exercise program (moderate-intensity treadmill walking) was implemented.
- EPOC was measured via indirect calorimetry at baseline, 9 months, and 16 months.
- Energy expenditure (EE) was estimated from exercise sessions; participants included overweight/obese men and women.
Main Results:
- EPOC showed no significant changes over time in women.
- EPOC significantly increased in men from baseline to 9 months, plateauing at 16 months.
- Changes in EPOC correlated with changes in EE in men at 9 and 16 months, but not in women.
Conclusions:
- Progressive aerobic exercise significantly impacts EPOC in overweight/obese men, but not women.
- Increased exercise volume likely contributed to elevated EPOC in men.
- EPOC's contribution to total energy expenditure was modest compared to the exercise stimulus itself.
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