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Blood lactate and hormonal responses to prototype flywheel ergometer workouts
John F Caruso1, Michael A Coday, Julie K Monda
1Exercise Physiology Laboratory, Exercise and Sport Science Program, The University of Tulsa, Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA. john-caruso@utulsa.edu
Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research
|February 11, 2010
Summary
Concentric-eccentric flywheel ergometer leg presses (CE3) are best for muscle conditioning, showing favorable hormonal responses and lower cortisol compared to concentric-only workouts. This workout is ideal for athletic performance.
Area of Science:
- Exercise Physiology
- Spaceflight Physiology
Background:
- Resistance exercise is crucial for maintaining muscle mass and strength, especially during spaceflight.
- Flywheel ergometers (FERG) offer a unique method for resistance training, particularly in microgravity environments.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare blood lactate and hormonal responses to different flywheel ergometer leg press protocols.
- To identify optimal resistance exercise workouts for future in-flight training.
Main Methods:
- Participants performed 3 sets of concentric and eccentric (CE3) actions or concentric-only actions for 3 (CO3) or 6 (CO6) sets.
- Blood lactate ([BLa-]) was measured pre- and post-exercise.
- Hormonal responses including growth hormone ([GH]), testosterone ([T]), and cortisol ([C]) were assessed pre- and post-exercise.
Main Results:
- Blood lactate showed a time effect across all workouts.
- Significant interactions were observed for [GH] (gender x workout, gender x time, workout x time) and [T] (3-way interaction).
- [C] exhibited gender, time, and workout effects, while the [T/C] ratio showed a gender x time interaction.
Conclusions:
- The CE3 workout yielded similar anabolic hormonal profiles to CO6 but with a lower cortisol response at 30 minutes post-exercise.
- CE3 is recommended as the optimal FERG workout for muscle mass and strength improvement.
- Eccentric actions are beneficial for FERG workouts targeting muscle enhancement.
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