Differences in cardiorespiratory and metabolic responses between body mass-based squat and lunge exercises with relation to muscular activity with relation to muscular activity level

This study aimed to clarify the differences in cardiorespiratory and metabolic responses to body mass-based front lunge and squat exercises with relation to muscular activity. Seven healthy adult males performed 200 times body mass-based squat and front lunge exercises. During the exercises, oxygen uptake, heart rate (HR), blood lactate concentration (La), ground reaction force were measured. Oxygen uptake was divided by body mass (VO ₂ ). VO ₂ and HR 44 was normalized to maximal VO ₂ (%VO ₂ max) and maximal HR (%HRmax) obtained from an 44 incremental load test. Electromyograms (EMGs) during the two exercises were recorded from the vastus lateralis (VL), rectus femoris, vastus medialis (VM), biceps femoris, gluteus maximus (GM). EMG amplitudes during both exercises were normalized to those during maximal voluntary contraction, and expressed as relative value (%EMG _MVC ). Time that cardiorespiratory parameters became stable was 4-6 min in both exercises. VO ₂ , %VO ₂ max, metabolic equivalent, were 44 higher in the front lunge than the squat. No significant differences in HR, %HRmax and La were found between both tasks. %EMG _MVC in VL, VM and GM were higher in the front lunge than the squat. These current findings indicate that 1) body mass-based squat and front lunge exercises are physiologically of more than moderate intensity, and 2) the cardiorespiratory responses to body mass-based front lunge are greater than those to body mass-based squat. This may be due to the difference in muscular activities of VL, VM and GM during the tasks.