Stability Ball Sitting Elevates Peak Arm Ergometry Oxygen Consumption and Heart Rate

Area of Science:

• Exercise Physiology
• Biomechanics
• Cardiorespiratory Fitness

Background:

• Stability balls are increasingly used in exercise settings.
• The metabolic and cardiovascular effects of using a stability ball versus a traditional chair during arm ergometry are not well-defined.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the impact of sitting on a stability ball versus a chair during arm ergometry on peak oxygen consumption (VO2) and peak heart rate (HR).
• To evaluate the influence of stability ball use on exercise intensity prescription.

Main Methods:

• 27 healthy adults underwent two arm ergometry tests to exhaustion, one on a stability ball (B) and one on a chair (C), in a randomized order.
• Open-circuit spirometry and HR monitoring were used throughout the graded exercise tests.
• Repeated measures ANOVA and paired t-tests analyzed data from different exercise stages.

Main Results:

• VO2 was significantly higher (8-12%) across all exercise stages when using the stability ball compared to the chair (P < 0.001).
• HR was significantly higher only at the penultimate and peak exercise stages (2-3%) with the stability ball (P < 0.001).
• When expressed as a percentage of maximum, neither VO2 nor HR showed significant differences between the stability ball and chair conditions.

Conclusions:

• Stability ball sitting elicits a greater absolute metabolic demand during arm ergometry compared to chair sitting.
• Exercise intensity prescription based on absolute MET levels should account for the increased metabolic response with stability balls.
• Intensity prescription based on percentage of maximum VO2 or HR may not require adjustment for stability ball use.