Excess postexercise oxygen consumption following acute aerobic and resistance exercise in women who are lean or obese

Seventeen women were divided into lean (19.5 +/- 0.5 years; 22.2 +/- 0.6 kg.m(-2)) and obese (20.4 +/- 0.5 years; 34.9 +/- 2.1 kg.m(-2)) groups. On completion of a submax cycle ergometer test and 10-repetition maximum (10RM) of 5 exercises on a Smith machine, subjects returned for 2 exercise sessions during menses. Session 1 consisted of performing 3 sets of 10 repetitions at 70% of the predetermined 10RM for the following exercises: squat, calf raises, bench press, upright row, and shoulder press. Session 2 consisted of cycling at 60-65% VO2max for a duration that would expend the same number of calories as the resistance session. Postexercise respiratory exchange ratio and EPOC magnitude/duration were similar for both groups. These findings indicate that women who are lean or obese will respond similarly to exercise at similar relative intensities and that aerobic and resistance exercise of equal caloric expenditure will elicit similar EPOC responses.