Cardiovascular responses and anaerobic threshold for bicycle and arm ergometer exercise

Cardiovascular responses occurring at the anaerobic threshold (AT) were compared during intermittent bicycle and arm ergometry in eight healthy college students. Arm and bicycle tests used time-matched, discontinuous protocols (three-minute work stages alternated with three-minute rest intervals). Anaerobic threshold was determined by plotting expired minute volume (Ve) on oxygen consumption (VO2) and expressed as the percentage of the respective peak VO2 at which the deflection occurred. Analysis of variance revealed AT was similar for arm and bicycle tests. Absolute VO2 at AT was higher for bicycle than for arm ergometer exercise (p less than .05). Heart rate (HR) and rate pressure product (RPP) were higher for bicycle than for arm ergometry at AT (p less than .05). Moreover, a similarity in percent maximum RPP and percent maximum VO2 was observed at AT for arm ergometry, whereas percent maximum RPP was higher than percent maximum VO2 at AT for bicycle ergometry. Because AT has been suggested as an appropriate intensity of exercise for conditioning, it was concluded that a sufficient level of exercise intensity can be elicited at a lower percentage of the cardiovascular reserve for arm than for bicycle ergometer exercise.