Brief high-intensity exercise and resistive force selection in overweight and obese subjects: body mass or body composition?

The purpose of this study was to compare the maximal exercise performance of overweight and obese subjects during friction braked cycle ergometry of 10 s duration when resistive forces reflected total-body mass (TBM) or fat-free mass (FFM). Subjects were assigned at random to either protocol. Eleven healthy male university students (age 22.3 ± 2 yrs, body fat 27.1 ± 2%) participated in the study. Differences (P < 0.01) in peak power output (PPO) were found between TBM and FFM (1029 ± 98 W TBM vs. 1397 ± 146 W FFM). The findings of this study suggest that greater peak power outputs are obtainable when resistive forces reflect FFM as opposed to TBM. The results have implications that relate to the pathology of disease, related clinical examinations, and exercise prescription.