The study found that the heart rate and oxygen consumption values for exercising on the elliptical trainer were virtually identical to running on the treadmill, yet the impact forces in the feet were more comparable to walking (Figures 1-3). The ground reaction forces during running were almost 2.5 times body weight (Figure 3). Also, the heart rate and oxygen consumption values for running and exercising on the elliptical trainer were significantly higher than all of the other modalities, despite similar rates of perceived exertion (RPE) values. The RPE values for the elliptical trainer, treadmill running, stepping and stationary cycling were identical, averaging 12.8 on the Borg 6-20 scale, which corresponds to “somewhat hard.”
Related studies
The findings in this study relating to heart rate and energy cost are virtually identical to those in a well-publicized study reported several years ago.5 That study found that running on a treadmill was superior to exercising on stationary cycle ergometers, rowers, steppers and simulated cross-country ski machines, despite similar RPE values. Walking on the treadmill elicited the lowest heart rate (HR) and oxygen consumption values in the elliptical study and, in several other studies conducted at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, similar results were found. Individuals tend to exercise at a lower perceived exertion level (11.5 to 12.0 on the Borg scale) when walking on a treadmill and have lower HR, oxygen consumption and caloric expenditure responses.
In another related study, Len Kravitz and colleagues at the University of Mississippi compared four home brands of elliptical trainers.3 The results regarding the intensity of the workout were very similar to the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse findings. In the home elliptical study, subjects exercised at RPE values between 12.5 and 13.0 on the Borg scale, and exercised at an average of 72 percent of maximal heart rate values.
While the issue of quality is not as much of a problem with commercial units, the “feel” of different machines can vary substantially. This is because the shape of the ellipse varies on different machines. Some machines incorporate a more circular pathway, while others have a flatter (more egg-shaped) elliptical pattern. Don’t be turned off on ellipticals because one machine doesn’t feel right; try different brands.
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