Cardiorespiratory Responses to Arm and Leg Ergometry in Women

Abstract

In brief: To compare the cardiorespiratory responses to arm vs leg exercise in women with those previously reported for men, ten healthy women (mean age 29.8 years) underwent separate arm and leg ergometer tests to measure oxygen consumption (VO₂) during submaximal and maximal exercise. VO₂ during arm exercise was greater than that during leg exercise at any given submaximal work load. At maximal exercise, however, cardiorespiratory responses were generally greater during leg exercise. VO₂ max during arm and leg ergometry was 1.60 and 2.02 liters·min⁻¹, respectively. Although women have a lower arm VO₂ max than men, it appears that their aerobic capacity for arm work is not disproportionately inferior to men's.