Author and graduation date: Christopher Louis SHERMAN, July, 1999

Committee members: Jeanne Nichols (Chair), Michael Buono, James Sallis

Thesis title: Caloric Expenditure and Heart Rate Responses to a Thirty Minute Bout of Treading Exercise

This study examined the heart rate responses, oxygen uptake, and caloric expenditure during a 30-minute bout of interval exercise on a treadmill. Twenty moderately-trained men and women were assigned t o one of the following four groups: female walkers (FW, n = 5), female runners (FR, n = 5), male walkers (MW, n = 5), male runners (MR, n = 5). Subjects performed a VO2 test followed by a 30-minute interval bout of running or walking designed to simulate an all-terrain workout. Treading, the 6-stage submaximal bout, consisted of 3-minute work intervals of varied speed and grade, interspersed with 2-minute recovery periods.

Energy expenditure was measured by indirect calorimetry with open circuit spirometry. In women, the mean (± SD) percent maximum heart rate (%HRmax) response to walking and running was 74.9 ± 6.1% and 91.1 ± 1.0%, respectively, while the percent maximal oxygen uptake (%V02max) response was 48.9 ± 5.7% and 80.1 ± 3.7%. In men, the percent maximum heart rate (%HRmax) response to walking and running was 65.0 ± 4.9% and 89.9 ± 2.3%, respectively, while the percent maximal oxygen uptake(% V02max) response was 40.2 + 6.5% and 76.37 + 4.3%. The mean caloric expenditure of the groups was 162 ± 18 and 274 + 10 kcal for the FW and FR, respectively, while for the men it was 211 + 16 and 474 + 108 kcal for walking and running, respectively. These results indicate that the Treading training program meets the American College of Sports Medicine guidelines for fitness gains in individuals with a wide range of initial fitness levels. The high intensity achieved by the runners illustrates that it can be an effective training program for highly fit runners preparing for competition, while the relatively low intensity in the walking protocol indicates that it is safe and effective for beginners and low-fit individuals.

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