Effects of standing cycling and the use of toe stirrups on maximal oxygen uptake

Twenty-eight subjects (6 normal men, 14 distance runners, and 8 rowers) were tested for maximal oxygen uptake ( \(\dot V_{O_{2max} } \) ) and associated physiological measures during bicycle ergometer exercise with toe stirrups while standing (BEts) and during treadmill exercise (TM). Correlation between BEts \(\dot V_{O_{2max} } \) and TM \(\dot V_{O_{2max} } \) was high (r=0.901, p<0.05). No significant difference existed between the two \(\dot V_{O_{2max} } \) values (60.3±8.9 vs. 60.5±9.7 ml · kg⁻¹ · min⁻¹; n=28). No differences were found even when three different subgroups were separately compared. It is concluded that the higher \(\dot V_{O_{2max} } \) elicited during BEts as compared with normal sitting cycling may be attributed to the increased muscle blood flow and/ or involvement of a larger muscle mass, the latter being partly evidenced by the observation of greater electrornyographic activity during BEts.