Background: Few studies have investigated the metabolic demands of functional exercise. We determined the oxygen cost, heart rate (HR) response, and energy expenditure (EE) both during and immediately following a loaded movement training (LMT) workout.
Methods: Ten participants (5 male, age 23.5±3.7 years, VO2peak 53.3±6.4 mL/kg/min) completed baseline resting metabolic rate testing, a maximal oxygen uptake (VO2) test, and a familiarization trial. After 48 hours' rest, participants completed a 19-minute LMT protocol using functional exercise equipment, consisting of 10 x 60-second work intervals followed by 60 seconds of rest. VO2, HR, respiratory exchange ratio (RER), and EE were measured during the entire LMT protocol and for 45 minutes post-exercise.
Results: Participants had a mean VO2 of 65.3±4.1% VO2peak, HR of 91.8±4.0% HRmax, RER of 1.06±0.06, EE of 13.0±3.0 kcal/min (0.176±0.021 kcal/kg/min), and rating of perceived exertion of 17.3±1.6. The mean overall caloric expenditure was 247 kcal. Post-exercise metabolic recovery data showed a mean overall excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC) of 7.89±3.78 L. EE remained elevated through 15 minutes, VO2 through 30 minutes, and HR through 45 minutes (P<0.05). RER remained depressed throughout the 45-minute collection (P<0.05).
Conclusions: LMT meets the American College of Sports Medicine's recommendations for improving cardiovascular fitness and achieving the daily caloric expenditure from exercise. It may be used to improve cardiovascular fitness and body composition in healthy adults.