Caloric cost of performing the Perrier Parcourse Fitness Circuit

The metabolic cost of performing a Perrier Parcourse Fitness Circuit was determined in 18 men, ages 18-26 yr. A laboratory simulation of the Parcourse was conducted using a treadmill for the running phases between exercise stations, and apparatus was constructed to simulate the various apparatus at each of the specific exercise stations on the Parcourse. Subjects completed two simulations on separate days, performing at a pace that enabled them to maintain a training heart rate of 70-85% of absolute maximum heart rate. Metabolic data for rest, exercise, and recovery were collected. With a mean exercise time of 29.6 min, the average total gross energy expenditure was 394.9 kcal for simulation I and 382.1 kcal for simulation II. It was concluded that performance of the Parcourse would be an adequate exercise for expending energy in programs emphasizing weight control and would be appropriate for cardiorespiratory endurance conditioning.