As a bike owner, you’re no stranger to the exhilaration of the open street, the rhythm of the pedal strokes, and the pursuit of peak efficiency. However do you know that the advantages of your experience can prolong past the street? On this toolbox article, we’ll study extra about extra post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC) and see if it’s a useful instrument for weight reduction, or only a stylish health buzzword.

Climbing intervals

What’s EPOC?

Extra Submit-Train Oxygen Consumption (EPOC), also known as the “afterburn impact,” is a physiological phenomenon that describes the elevated oxygen consumption and vitality expenditure that happens after an train session has been accomplished. In different phrases, EPOC represents the extra quantity of oxygen the physique must return to its pre-exercise state and recuperate from the stress and vitality calls for of the exercise.

Determine 1. Oxygen consumption throughout & after train. Discover the ‘Oxygen deficit’ in the beginning of train should be repaid following train as ‘EPOC’. Taken from Arney, et al., 2019.

EPOC happens as a result of train locations numerous stresses on the physique, together with elevated coronary heart charge, elevated respiration, and the breakdown of vitality substrates like fats & carbohydrates. After the train is accomplished, the physique continues to eat oxygen at an elevated charge to:

• Replenish oxygen shops throughout the physique.
• Clear amassed metabolic byproducts
• Restore the physique to homeostasis, together with physique temperature, coronary heart charge, and different physiological processes

EPOC leads to further calorie expenditure and may persist for a time frame, relying on elements like train depth & period. Excessive-intensity and interval-based workouts are thought to supply a extra pronounced and prolonged EPOC in comparison with lower-intensity, steady train. We’ll assessment a 2016 research that investigated the function of train depth & period on the afterburn impact and see if EPOC generally is a main contributor to fats loss and physique composition modifications.

Dash interval coaching

What did they check?

Researchers needed to grasp how train kind impacts EPOC and general vitality expenditure (EE). They in contrast 3 various kinds of train to a non-exercise management situation:

• Regular State Train (SSE) – 30 min @ 80% most Coronary heart Charge (HRmax). This could be analogous to a excessive zone 2 endurance experience.
• Excessive-Depth Interval Train (HIE) – 4 x 4min @ 95% HRmax with 3 min energetic restoration between efforts. This could be just like ‘Seiler 4 x 4 intervals’
• Dash Interval Train (SIE) –  6 x 30 sec ‘Wingate’ sprints with 4 min energetic restoration. Contributors have been inspired to experience has arduous as potential for every 30s dash. I ought to level out that this kind of train is actually not straightforward, nor enjoyable. In reality, SIE resulted in 3 individuals failing to finish the research.

Who did they check?

13 recreationally energetic males have been recruited to take part, although solely ten would full the research. In comparison with different cyclist-specific research we’ve reviewed up to now with elite stage cyclists, these individuals are barely much less effectively educated:

• Age: 24 +/- 4 years
• Weight: 73.1 +/- 8.2 kg
• Relative VO2max: 45.9 +/- 7.2 mL/kg/min

What did they discover?

For 3 hours after train, cumulative EPOC & web vitality expenditure have been better from dash intervals than from regular state or excessive depth intervals, suggesting that the “afterburn impact” from dash coaching was better than high-intensity intervals or regular state train.

Determine 2. Oxygen consumption (in L/min) in opposition to time (in minutes) for the three train circumstances, relative to a non-exercise management. Discover that every one 3 train sorts resulted in some EPOC, however Dash Interval coaching (white squares) resulted within the biggest web quantity of EPOC. Picture taken from Tucker, et al., 2016.

As you may anticipate, oxygen consumption was better throughout train for the regular state & high-intensity train circumstances, in comparison with dash coaching. There was no vital distinction between SSE & HIE. In different phrases, the dash interval train used the least quantity of vitality throughout train.

Curiously, regardless of better EPOC and EE following train in dash train, regular state train nonetheless resulted within the biggest whole oxygen consumed & web vitality expended. There was additionally a development for extra oxygen consumed and better vitality use in regular state in comparison with high-intensity interval train, however it didn’t attain statistical significance. The outcomes are well-summarized within the determine under:

Determine 3. Oxygen consumed throughout train (black) and after train – e.g. EPOC  (white) for the three completely different train circumstances: regular state train (SSE), high-intensity interval train (HIE), and dash interval train (SIE). Regardless of SIE having considerably extra EPOC, SSE nonetheless resulted within the biggest whole oxygen consumed. Picture taken from Tucker, et al., 2016).

So… What’s the Verdict?

Dash Interval coaching actually does elicit a better EPOC than each regular state train and high-intensity interval train. Nevertheless, the train vitality expenditure for dash coaching, even with 6 maximal efforts, was considerably lower than that for SSE and HIE. Additionally, the mixed train + put up train web vitality expenditure was lowest for SIE, which means that EPOC following high-intensity interval and dash interval coaching is unlikely to be the key contributor to fats loss and physique composition modifications.

Subsequently, together with some high-intensity and dash depth intervals generally is a helpful addition to your coaching and leads to elevated EPOC. Nevertheless – primarily based on the outcomes of the research we reviewed immediately – there’s nonetheless actually an argument that steady moderate-intensity train can improve your whole vitality expenditure, which is a significant contributing issue to weight reduction.

That’s all for this month! Keep protected, experience quick, and I’ll see you subsequent time!

References

Arney, Blaine E. M.S., ACSM-EP; Foster, Carl Ph.D., FACSM, MAACVPR; Porcari, John Ph.D., FACSM, MAACVPR, ACSM-RCEP. EPOC: IS IT REAL? DOES IT MATTER?. ACSM’s Well being & Health Journal 23(4):p 9-13, 7/8 2019.

Tucker WJ, Angadi SS, Gaesser GA. Extra Postexercise Oxygen Consumption After Excessive-Depth and Dash Interval Train, and Steady Regular-State Train. J Energy Cond Res. 2016 Nov;30(11):3090-3097.

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