Excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC) following multiple effort sprint and moderate aerobic exercise

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of 30-second all-out sprint interval exercise (SIE) vs. moderate aerobic exercise (MA) on excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC). Six recreationally-trained males (age=23.3±1.4 yrs, weight=81.8±9.9 kg, height=180.8±6.3 cm) completed a sprint interval exercise session consisting of three repeated 30-second Wingate cycling tests separated by four minutes (duration ~11minutes) as well as a moderate aerobic exercise session consisting of 30-minute cycling at 60% heart rate reserve (HRR) in a random counterbalanced design. Baseline oxygen consumption (VO₂) was determined by an average VO₂ from the final five minutes of a 30-minute supine rest period prior to each trial. Following each protocol, VO₂ was measured for 30 minutes or until baseline measures were reached. EPOC was determined by subtracting baseline VO₂ from post-exercise VO₂ measurements. Energy expenditure (kJ) was determined by multiplying kJ per liter of oxygen by the average VO₂ during recovery. EPOC values were significantly higher in SIE (7.5±1.3 L) than MA (1.8±0.7 L). SIE produced a higher recovery caloric expenditure (156.9 kJ) compared to MA (41.0 kJ) and remained significantly elevated (p=.024) over resting levels during the entire recovery period (30 minutes) compared to MA (6 minutes, p=.003). The energy required to recover from three repeated maximal effort 30-second Wingate cycling tests was greater than 30 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise. Future studies should examine the chronic effects of maximal effort sprint training protocol on cardiovascular fitness and body composition.