Physiological responses and perceived exertion during leg versus combined arm-and-leg exercise

This study compared ratings of perceived exertion (RPE) and blood lactate (La) levels between leg (L) only and combined arm-and-leg (A+L) exercise on an air-braked ergometer. Eight college-aged males took part in the study, performing the two sessions in a crossover design at approximately the same time of day. Subjects exercised at approximately 75% of their measured maximum aerobic capacity for the two 40-minute bouts using a discontinuous protocol of four, 10-minute stages. Ratings of perceived exertion, heart rate (HR), oxygen uptake (VO₂), and ventilation (VE) were recorded during the last 30 seconds of each stage. Using the finger stick method, blood samples were drawn within two minutes, at the end of each exercise stage, for analysis of La using the YSI-27 analyzer. A two-way repeated measures ANOVA (mode*time) revealed significantly lower RPE and La for A+L versus L exercise (P < .05). Non significant differences for HR, VO₂, and VE were observed between L and A+L exercise. The results indicate that for an absolute power output, RPE and La were higher for L exercise compared to A+L exercise.