Energy Expenditure With

Indoor Exercise Machines

Anne I. Zeni, DO; Martin D. Hoffman, MD; Philip S. Clifford, PhD

Objective.\p=m-\Tocompare the rates of energy expenditure at given rating of per- METHODS

ceived exertion (RPE) levels among 6 different indoor exercise machines. Thirteen healthy subjects (8 men, 5
Design.\p=m-\Repeatedmeasures design. women) participated in this investiga¬
Participants.\p=m-\Healthyyoung-adult volunteers, including 8 men and 5 women. tion after signing an informed consent
Interventions.\p=m-\Subjectsunderwent a 4-week habituation period to become fa- in accordance with our institutional re¬
miliar with the RPE scale and exercise on an Airdyne, a cross-country skiing simu- view board. All subjects were in good
lator, a cycle ergometer, a rowing ergometer, a stair stepper, and a treadmill. Fol- health and free of cardiac, pulmonary,
lowing habituation, each subject completed an exercise test with each exercise metabolic, or musculoskeletal disorders.
machine. The exercise test comprised 3 stages of 5 minutes at self-selected work Height and weight were determined,
rates corresponding to RPE values of 11 (fairly light), 13 (somewhat hard), and 15 and percentage of body fat was calcu¬
(hard). Oxygen consumption, from which the rate of energy expenditure was cal- lated from skinfold measurements of 7
culated, was measured during the last minute of each 5-minute exercise stage. sites.6
Heart rate was measured during the last minute of each stage of the exercise test, Each subject underwent 4 weeks of
habituation to become familiar with use
and blood lactate levels were obtained immediately after each exercise stage. ofthe rating of perceived exertion (RPE)
Main Outcome Measure.\p=m-\Rateof energy expenditure at specified RPE values. scale (rating from 6 to 20 points)6 and
Results.\p=m-\Ratesof energy expenditure at a given RPE varied by 1093 kJ/h (261 the 6 exercise machines, and each sub¬
kcal/h) for the exercise machines. The treadmill induced higher (P<.05) rates of ject received standard instructions in
energy expenditure for fixed RPE values than all other exercise machines. The the use of the RPE scale.7 The 6 exer¬
cross-country skiing simulator, rowing ergometer, and stair stepper induced higher cise machines examined in this study
(P<.05) rates of energy expenditure than the Airdyne and cycle ergometer. Heart were an Airdyne machine (Schwinn
rate varied significantly (P<.001) among exercise machines, with highest values Cycling & Fitness Ine, Boulder, Colo),
associated with the treadmill and the stair stepper. Lactate concentration varied a simulated cross-country skier (Nor-

significantly (P=.004), with highest values associated with use of the stair stepper dicSport Ski 450, NordicTrack, Chaska,
Minn), a cycle ergometer (Cateye
and the rowing ergometer.
Conclusions.\p=m-\Underthe conditions of the study, the treadmill is the optimal in- Ergociser model EC-1600, Fuji America
door exercise machine for enhancing energy expenditure when perceived exertion Ine, Oakland, NJ), a rowing ergometer
is used to establish exercise intensity.
(Concept II model C, Concept II Ine,
Morrisville, Vt), a stair stepper (Tectrix
(JAMA. 1996;275:1424-1427) ClimbMax, Tectrix Fitness Equipment,
Irvine, Calif), and a treadmill for walk¬
A MULTITUDE of indoor exercise ma¬ performed physiological comparisons of ing and running (Schwinn CI-430,
chines are promoted for improving aero¬ some of these exercise machines.1^ How¬ Schwinn Cycling & Fitness Ine, Boul¬
bic fitness and for controlling body ever, a comprehensive comparison ofthe der, Colo). Each subject viewed a vid¬
weight. Previous investigations have aerobic and energy demands relative to eotape and received individual coaching
level of perceived exertion has not been on proper techniques for simulated cross¬
performed. Such a comparison is impor¬ country skiing and rowing.
From the Sports Performance and Technology Labo- tant because the intensity of exercise is Each subject exercised a minimum of
ratory (Drs Zeni, Hoffman, and Clifford), the Depart- often determined by the perceived ef¬ 15 minutes 2 times per week on each
ment of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (Drs Zeni fort. The primary purpose of this study exercise machine. During every 15-
and Hoffman), and the Departments of Anesthesiology
and Physiology (Dr Clifford), Medical College of Wis- was to compare 6 commonly used, popu¬ minute period of exercise, 5 minutes
consin and Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Milwau- lar indoor aerobic exercise machines to were performed at each self-selected
kee. determine which would elicit the great¬ work rate, corresponding to RPE levels
Reprints: Martin D. Hoffman, MD, Sports Perfor- est rate of energy expenditure at speci¬ of 11 (fairly light), 13 (somewhat hard),
mance and Technology Laboratory, 111R, 5000 W Na-
tional Ave, Milwaukee, WI 53295. fied levels of perceived exertion. and 15 (hard). Consistency in the ability

Downloaded from jama.ama-assn.org by guest on April 5, 2011

of the subjects to rate their perception
of effort was assessed during the third
and fourth weeks of habituation. Sub¬
jects selected, in a blinded fashion, the
work rates corresponding to the 3 RPE
levels. Adjustments to the work rate
were allowed during the first 3 minutes
ofthe 5-minute exercise period, and then
during the last 2 minutes the work rate
remained steady. Work rates were re¬
corded for subsequent determination of
consistency in the use of the RPE scale.
The average coefficient of variance in
work rates for every subject was less
than 8%, with a mean±SD value for all
subjects of 5±2%.
Work rates were measured directly
in watts with the cycle ergometer, row¬
ing ergometer, and stair stepper. Sub¬
jects selected their pedaling rates on
the cycle ergometer and their stepping
rates on the stair stepper because these
exercise machines maintained the set
external power output regardless of the
pedaling or stepping rate. Previous stud¬
ies8,9 of stair stepping have shown that
step rate does not significantly alter oxy¬
gen consumption per unit time (Vo2) or
heart rate at constant external power
outputs. Likewise, small variations in
pedaling rate have been shown to have
a minimal effect on Vo2 and heart rate
during cycling.10 With the rowing er¬
gometer, subjects maintained a steady
work rate, and average power output
was measured during the last 2 minutes
of each 5-minute exercise period. Work
rates with the Airdyne were measured
by the number ofrevolutions per minute
and subsequently converted to watts.
Treadmill walking/running was per¬
formed at 1.6% grade, and work rates
were expressed as speed. With the cross¬
country skiing simulator, subjects ad¬
justed the arm resistance to yield a com¬
fortable distribution of work between
the upper and lower body, selected their
most comfortable "speed" for the leg
movement at each RPE, and kept these
speeds consistent throughout the habitu¬
ation and testing. The work rate for the
cross-country skiing simulator was mea¬
sured by a numeric scale for the leg
resistance setting. When using the tread¬
mill and stair stepper, the subjects were
instructed to avoid grasping the railings
except when required for balance be¬
cause support from the railings is known
to reduce Vo2.8,11
Following habituation, each subject
completed an exercise test on all exer¬
cise machines. The order of testing was
randomized and a given subject under¬
went all tests at approximately the same
time of day, separated by at least 24
hours. Subjects were instructed not to
ingest caffeine 3 hours prior to testing
or eat any food 2 hours prior to testing.
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Women were not tested 24 hours before
menstruation and throughout menstrua¬
tion because there is some suggestion
that the relationship of RPE with work
rate may be altered during the premen¬
strual and menstruation phases.12 Dur¬
ing testing, the laboratory was free of
significant visual or auditory distractions,
and mean ± SD ambient temperature and
relative humidity were 23.9±1.1°C and
58±7%.
Before the exercise test, there was a
5-minute warm-up at 75% of the indi¬
vidual's average work rate correspond¬
ing to an RPE of 11 during the third and
fourth weeks of habituation. After a
2-minute rest, the subjects then per¬
formed the graded exercise test, which
comprised 3 stages of 5 minutes at self-
selected work rates corresponding to
RPE values of 11 (fairly light), 13 (some¬
what hard), and 15 (hard); 2 minutes of
rest separated each stage. Work rates
corresponding to the desired RPE were
selected in a blinded fashion by the sub¬
jects. Fine adjustments in the work rate
were allowed during the first 3 minutes
of each stage, and then a steady work
rate was maintained during the last 2
minutes.
During the final minute of each ex¬
ercise stage, expired gases were col¬
lected into a 120-L meteorological bal¬
loon (Warren E. Collins Ine, Braintree,
Mass) from a nonrebreathing valve
(model 2700, Hans Rudolph Ine, Kansas
City, Mo). Oxygen (02) and carbon di¬
oxide (C02) concentrations ofthe expired
gases were determined immediately, us¬
ing calibrated 02 and C02 analyzers (Beck-
man OM-11 and LB-2, SensorMedics
Corp, Anaheim, Calif). Expired volumes
were measured with a calibrated dry
gas meter (Rayfield Equipment Ltd,
Waitsfield, Vt) and then corrected for
the volume removed for analysis of 02
and C02 concentrations. Calculated Vo2
values were subsequently converted to
rates of energy expenditure, using data
from Lusk.13
Heart rates were continuously aver¬
aged during 15-second intervals and re¬
corded with a telemetry system (Polar
Vantage XL, Polar USA Ine, Stamford,
Conn). Heart rates during the last
minute of each exercise stage were av¬
eraged and used for data analysis.
Immediately after each 5-minute ex¬
ercise stage, 30-40 µL of blood were
collected into a heparinized capillary tube
from a finger pricked with an automated
lancet device (Ames fingersticks, Miles
Ine, Elkhart, Ind). Blood was aspirated
from the capillary tube and analyzed
immediately for whole blood lactate con¬
centration (model 27, Yellow Springs
Instruments, Yellow Springs, Ohio).
On a separate day, each subject per-
Selected Characteristics (Mean±SD) of the
Subjects
Men Women
Characteristic (n=8) (n=5)
Age, y 35±4 27±3
Body mass, kg 76.2 + 12.9 56.2±3.2
Height, cm 180±7 168±5
Body fat, % 14±4 20±1
Maximal heart rate,
beats per minute 186±16 196±6
Maximal oxygen consumption,
mL-kg-'-min-' 54.8±5.6 46.8±3.1
formed a maximal exercise test on a
treadmill using a continuous graded pro¬
tocol. Treadmill speed was set on an
individual basis to result in volitional
fatigue in 8 to 12 minutes. Treadmill
grade started at 1.6% and was increased
2% each minute. Heart rates were mea¬
sured continuously as described. The Vo2
measurements were performed at 30-
second intervals, using the methods de¬
scribed. Maximal Vo2 and heart rate
were determined as the highest 30-sec-
ond value for each test.
Rate of energy expenditure, heart
rate, and lactate concentration values
across RPE levels were analyzed with
2-way (mode X RPE ) repeated measures
analysis of variance. Significant F val¬
ues were followed by a Newman-Keuls
post hoc analysis. A value of .05 was
set as the level of statistical signifi¬
cance.
RESULTS
Characteristics of the study subjects
are shown in the Table. Figure 1 displays
the relationships for rate of energy ex¬
penditure with RPE for the 6 exercise
machines. There were significant (P<.001)
differences among machines, with mean
rates of energy expenditure varying by
as much as 1093 kJ/h (261 kcal/h) at a
given RPE. Post hoc analysis revealed
that treadmill walking/running induced
significantly higher rates of energy ex¬
penditure compared with all other exer¬
cise machines tested at RPE levels of 13
and 15 and compared with Airdyne ex¬
ercise and cycle ergometry at an RPE of
11. Simulated cross-country skiing, row¬
ing ergometry, and stair stepping induced
significantly higher rates of energy ex¬
penditure compared with Airdyne exer¬
cise at RPE levels of 11 and 13 and com¬
pared with cycle ergometry at all 3 RPE
levels examined.
Heart rates were significantly
(P<.001) different among exercise ma¬
chines, with mean values varying up to
26 beats per minute at a given RPE
(Figure 2). Lactate concentration in¬
creased curvilinearly with RPE and var¬
ied significantly (P=.004) among ma¬
chines by as much as 1.7 mmol/L at the
highest RPE level (Figure 3).
Figure 1.—Mean rates of energy expenditure as a
function of rating of perceived exertion (RPE) for Air-
dyne exercise (AD), simulated cross-country skiing
(XC), cycle ergometry (CE), rowing ergometry (RE),
stairstepping (SS), and treadmill walking/running
(TM). Error bars represent 1 SE and are shown only
for TM because SE values for all other machines
were always less than for TM. The asterisks indicate
P<.05 compared with TM. The daggers indicate
P<.05 compared with AD and CE.
COMMENT
This study shows that exercise at a
given RPE resulted in substantial dif¬
ferences among exercise machines in
rate of energy expenditure. The tread¬
mill machine induced higher rates of en¬
ergy expenditure and aerobic demands
than the other exercise machines ex¬
amined. Thus, if exercise intensity is
established by perceived effort, tread¬
mill walking/running will result in the
greatest energy expenditure and car-
diorespiratory training stimulus during
a given duration of exercise.
To our knowledge, this is the first
study comparing multiple indoor aero¬
bic exercise machines using RPE as the
indicator of intensity. Previous studies
making such comparisons have been lim¬
ited by the types of exercise examined
or the number of machines compared.
Nevertheless, studies that have exam¬
ined the relationship of metabolic de¬
mand with RPE among different forms
of exercise1420 provide evidence that the
size of the exercising muscle mass in¬
fluences this relationship. In general,
use of a large muscle mass appears to
allow a greater metabolic demand for a
given RPE than exercise with a smaller
muscle mass.
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Figure 2.—Mean heart rates as a function of rating
of perceived exertion (RPE). Exercise machines are
abbreviated as in Figure 1. The asterisks indicate
P<.05 compared with AD. The daggers indicate
P<.05 compared with CE.
However, muscle mass is not the only
factor determining the relationship be¬
tween metabolic demand and RPE. For
example, it would be expected that simu¬
lated cross-country skiing and rowing
would engage a larger muscle mass than
walking/running on a treadmill. Yet, the
aerobic demands were greater for tread¬
mill walking/running, suggesting that
factors other than the amount of exer¬
cising muscle mass affect this relation¬
ship. Factors related to the movement
pattern of the exercise, such as the de¬
gree to which eccentric and isometric
contractions are involved, the incorpo¬
ration of neural pathways for reciprocal
innervation, and familiarity with the
movement pattern, may be involved.
Lactate concentration appears to be
an important mediator of RPE during
aerobic exercise.16·2123 The present study
demonstrated a similar relationship of
lactate concentration with RPE among
all exercise machines except the simu¬
lated cross-country skier. Thus, lactate
concentration is clearly not the sole me¬
diator of RPE among modes of aerobic
exercise.
Other than physiological cues, envi-
romental temperature24 and time of day25
have been shown to affect RPE. In this
study, we controlled for these variables
by testing subjects at similar ambiant
temperatures and at the same time of
day. An extensive habituation period
was used to assure that each subject
Figure 3.—Mean whole blood lactate concentra¬
tions function of rating of perceived exertion
as a
(RPE). Exercise machines are abbreviated as in
Figure 1. The asterisks indicate P<.05 compared
with XC.
was experienced with all exercise ma¬
chines prior to testing. The consistency
of the selected work rates at each RPE
provides evidence that the subjects were
proficient in the movement patterns re¬
quired by each machine and supports
the reliability of controlling intensity
based on perceived effort.
A limitation of this study is the rela¬
tively small sample size, which precludes
any assessment of differences between
men and women. However, analysis of
data for the men showed results similar
to the entire group (data not shown). In
addition, since this study examined a
group of young, fit subjects, it is pos¬
sible that the results may not apply to
a population with low fitness.
Exercise intensity is commonly es¬
tablished by a subjective feeling about
the level of exertion. The results of this
study demonstrate that when exercise
intensity is established by RPE, the
metabolic demand varies considerably
among exercise machines. For example,
the data show that the average indi¬
vidual in our study exercising on the
treadmill at an RPE of 13 (somewhat
hard) would expend approximately 2950
kJ/h (700 kcal/h). In contrast, the same
individual would expend less than 2100
kJ/h (500 kcal/h) at the same RPE when
using a cycle ergometer. In other words,
the energy expenditure would be more
than 40% greater for treadmill walking/
running compared with cycling.

Figure 4.—Mean percentages of maximal heart rate and oxygen uptake as a function of rating of perceived
exertion (RPE). Dashed lines represent the upper and lower intensity guidelines for enhancement of health
and cardiorespiratory fitness.7 Exercise machines are abbreviated as in Figure 1.
Evidence regarding exercise guide¬
lines for enhancement of health and car-
diorespiratory fitness suggests that ex¬
ercise intensity should be in the range of
60% to 90% of maximal heart rate or
50% to 85% of maximal Vo2.7 These in¬
tensities correspond with an RPE range
of approximately 12 to 16.7,26 Exercising
at RPE levels between 13 and 15 elic-
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the RPE at a given heart rate may vary
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This research was supported in part by Concept
II Ine, Fuji America Ine, NordicTrack, Schwinn
Cycling & Fitness Ine, Tectrix Fitness Equipment,
and VA Medical Research Service.
The authors would like to thank Paul Kovac for
his technical expertise and assistance with this
project.
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