Abstract

ElliptiGO cycling is a new form of exercise; the metabolic demands, however, have not been investigated. In a cross-over design, 17 runners completed 5×3 min stages while either cycling on a stationary ElliptiGO or running on a treadmill during which HR, RPE, and expired gases were collected using a portable metabolic analyzer. Subjects increased one gear or 1 mph every 3 min during cycling or running respectively. A 10 min recovery between modes of exercise was given. For each testing intensity, metabolic demand (VO2), HR, and VE was significantly higher during running (p < 0.05), however the RPE for each intensity was similar (p > 0.05). There was a linear relationship between speed and VO2 but the relationship for running had a steeper slope compared to the ElliptiGO. As a result, the ElliptiGO speed that was equivalent to the VO2 of each running speed increased at a greater rate. When matched for VO2, the HR, VE, and RPE were actually higher for ElliptiGO compared to running.