Respiratory and metabolic patterns in response to variations in exercise workload (WL) and pedal frequency (RPM) were examined in 10 healthy males. Each subject performed WLs of low (L), moderate (M) and high (H) intensity, equivalent to 25%, 50% and 75% V02 m a x at 7 pedal frequencies (40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90 and 100 RPM). ANOVA ( 3 X 7 design) indicated that WL and RPM had independent and significant effects on all respiratory and metabolic measures; i.e., the greater the WL and RPM, the higher the HR, V02, VC02, Ve, Fb, Vt, Vt/Ti, Vt/Te and Ti/TtQt and the lower the Ti and Te. However, analysis of the interaction effect revealed different response patterns for Fb, Vt, Ti, Vt/Ti, Vt/Te and Ve among the WLs. During L-WL, increases in RPM produced increases in Ve which were due to progressive increases in both Fb and Vt. However, during M-WL and H-WL, increases in RPM produced increases in Ve which were accomplished by a constant Vt and a progressive increase in Fb. My findings suggest that during low WLs, the signal for Vt is dependent on rate of contraction, while during M-WL and H-WL, the signal for Vt appears to depend on force of contraction and is independent of increasing RPM. When comparing the L-WL and M-WL, alterations in Ve, Fb, Vt/Ti and Vt/Te in relation to increases in pedal frequency were additive. However, when these two lower WLs were compared to the H-WL, the interaction between pedal frequency and Ve, Fb, Vt/Ti and Vt/Te was multiplicative. In addition, the interaction between WL and RPM on Vt and Ti was additive when comparing the M-WL and H-WL and multiplicative when these two lower WLs were compared to the H-WL. Correlation analysis indicated that for all WLs, Te was more highly related to Fb than was Ti, while Vt/Te was more highly related to Ve than was Vt/Ti. Our findings suggest that during M-WL and H-WL, increases in Ve are accomplished by progressive increases in Fb and decreases in Te, while during L-WL, increases in Ve are achieved by progressive increases in both Fb and Vt.
