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European Journal of Applied Physiology
Published in: European Journal of Applied Physiology 3-4/2003

01-05-2003 | Original Article

Oxygen uptake kinetics during moderate, heavy and severe intensity 'submaximal' exercise in humans: the influence of muscle fibre type and capillarisation

Authors: Jamie S. M. Pringle, Jonathan H. Doust, Helen Carter, Keith Tolfrey, Iain T. Campbell, Andrew M. Jones

Published in: European Journal of Applied Physiology | Issue 3-4/2003

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Abstract

The purpose of the present study was to test the hypothesis that muscle fibre type influences the oxygen uptake (V̇O2) on-kinetic response (primary time constant; primary and slow component amplitudes) during moderate, heavy and severe intensity sub-maximal cycle exercise. Fourteen subjects [10 males, mean (SD) age 25 (4) years; mass 72.6 (3.9) kg; V̇O2peak 47.9 (2.3) ml kg−1 min−1] volunteered to participate in this study. The subjects underwent a muscle biopsy of the vastus lateralis for histochemical determination of muscle fibre type, and completed repeat 'square-wave' transitions from unloaded cycling to power outputs corresponding to 80% of the ventilatory threshold (VT; moderate exercise), 50% (heavy exercise) and 70% (severe exercise) of the difference between the VT and V̇O2peak. Pulmonary V̇O2 was measured breath-by-breath. The percentage of type I fibres was significantly correlated with the time constant of the primary V̇O2 response for heavy exercise (r=−0.68). Furthermore, the percentage of type I muscle fibres was significantly correlated with the gain of the V̇O2 primary component for moderate (r=0.65), heavy (r=0.57) and severe (r=0.57) exercise, and with the relative amplitude of the V̇O2 slow component for heavy (r=−0.74) and severe (r=−0.64) exercise. The influence of muscle fibre type on the V̇O2 on-kinetic response persisted when differences in aerobic fitness and muscle capillarity were accounted for. This study demonstrates that muscle fibre type is significantly related to both the speed and the amplitudes of the V̇O2 response at the onset of constant-load sub-maximal exercise. Differences in contraction efficiency and oxidative enzyme activity between type I and type II muscle fibres may be responsible for the differences observed.
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Metadata
Title
Oxygen uptake kinetics during moderate, heavy and severe intensity 'submaximal' exercise in humans: the influence of muscle fibre type and capillarisation
Authors
Jamie S. M. Pringle
Jonathan H. Doust
Helen Carter
Keith Tolfrey
Iain T. Campbell
Andrew M. Jones
Publication date
01-05-2003
Publisher
Springer-Verlag
Published in
European Journal of Applied Physiology / Issue 3-4/2003
Print ISSN: 1439-6319
Electronic ISSN: 1439-6327
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-003-0799-1

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