Oxygen consumption, heart rate and oxygen pulse associated with selected exercise-to-muscle class elements

Area of Science:

• Exercise Physiology
• Sports Science
• Kinesiology

Background:

• Exercise-to-music classes incorporate diverse movement elements.
• Understanding the physiological demands of these elements is crucial for effective program design.
• Previous research has not comprehensively compared the metabolic costs of distinct exercise-to-music components.

Purpose of the Study:

• To quantify and compare the relative oxygen consumption (VO2), heart rate, and oxygen pulse during different exercise-to-music movement elements.
• To identify which movement types elicit the highest physiological responses.
• To assess the suitability of heart rate as a comparative metric across varied exercise modalities.

Main Methods:

• Six experienced female exercise-to-music instructors participated.
• Participants performed five distinct movement elements: circuit, jump, low impact (locomotor), and prone, side/supine (calisthenic).
• Physiological data, including relative VO2, heart rate, and oxygen pulse, were measured during each element.

Main Results:

• Relative VO2 was highest during the circuit element and lowest during the side/supine element.
• Significant differences in VO2 were observed between locomotor and calisthenic elements, with locomotor activities showing higher consumption.
• Oxygen pulse was significantly greater for locomotor elements compared to calisthenic elements, suggesting heart rate alone may be insufficient for comparison.

Conclusions:

• Locomotor exercise elements in exercise-to-music classes generally require higher oxygen consumption than calisthenic elements.
• The findings highlight significant differences in physiological intensity across various exercise-to-music components.
• Heart rate may not be an appropriate index for comparing the intensity of different exercise-to-music elements due to variations in oxygen pulse.