Effect of high resistance and low resistance bicycle ergometer training in college women on cardiorespiratory function and body composition

The effects of high resistance-slow rate (HR-SR) and low resistance-fast rate (LR-FR) training on cardiorespiratory function and body composition were studied. Thirty-four college women (ages 17 to 22 years) were randomly assigned to one of three groups: HR-SR (N = 13); LR-FR (N = 11); or C (control, N = 10). Assessments of cardiorespiratory function (using a progressive load bicycle ergometer test to maximal exertion) and body composition (anthropometric and underwater weighing) were made before and after a ten-week physical training program. The experimental subjects trained on a bicycle ergometer three days per week, with the time per training session progressively increased from 20 to 25 min over the ten-week period. The workload for each subject was set to elicit approximately 70% of that subject’s pretraining [Vdot]O₂ max and to equate the total mechanical work of the two training groups. Both training groups, HR-SR and LR-FR, significantly increased relative to the control group in [Vdot]O₂ max (12%, 12%), O₂ pulse max (12%, 12%), work output (79%, 60%), and total ride time (57%, 51%), but differences between the training groups were not significant. No significant alterations in body weight or body composition were found. These results suggest that the cardiorespiratory adaptations measured are independent of these modes of training.