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ACE® Study Evaluates the ElliptiGO Outdoor Elliptical Bicycle

Posted: Jun 18, 2015 in

Research Finds ElliptiGO Produces Comparable Heart Rate and Energy Expenditure Response to Running, Meets Fitness Industry Guidelines

SAN DIEGO, June 18, 2015—Since their debut in 1990s, elliptical cross-trainer machines have steadily ranked among the most popular cardio options by gym-goers, but their one drawback is that users are trapped indoors. The ElliptiGO, a bicycle and elliptical hybrid, provides an outdoor option for elliptical devotees. Intrigued by this machine, the American Council on Exercise (ACE) commissioned an independent study to determine the effectiveness of a workout on the ElliptiGO and how it measures up to accepted fitness industry guidelines for improving cardio respiratory fitness and body composition.

The ElliptiGO offers a motion similar to an elliptical, but is steered and pedaled forward like a bicycle. The ElliptiGO’s four models provide a variety of speed options, resistance levels, adjust to the rider’s height and are meant for outdoor use on a variety of different terrains.

“People tend to be intrinsically motivated to perform physical activity when they truly enjoy their workouts,” said ACE Chief Science Officer Cedric X. Bryant, Ph.D. “We heard that the ElliptiGO was a lot of fun to use, and wanted to examine if it provides an effective dose of exercise without the high-impact on the joints associated with other outdoor options like jogging or running.”

For the study, researchers from the University of Wisconsin, LaCrosse had 16 healthy female and male volunteers between the ages of 18 and 45 participate in three 15 to 20-minute practice sessions on the ElliptiGO before completing a graded maximal exercise test on a treadmill and a 30-minute exercise session on the ElliptiGO. During the graded exercise test, expired air and metabolic responses were measured, in addition to recording each participant’s ratings of perceived exertion (RPE) at the end of each stage of the test. During the 30-minute exercise session, which was only conducted after the researchers deemed the participant proficient on the ElliptiGO, heart rate and oxygen consumption was recorded each minute as the subjects exercised at a self-selected pace; session RPE was also recorded.

Fitness industry guidelines suggest that healthy adults should work out between approximately 60 and 90 percent of heart rate maximum (HRmax) or 40 and 85 percent of maximum oxygen consumption (VO₂max) to maintain and/or improve cardiorespiratory fitness. ACE’s study findings demonstrate that exercising at a self-selected intensity on the ElliptiGO met the guidelines on both accounts. The study subjects exercised at an average of 84 percent of HRmax and 75 percent of VO₂max during the 30-minute exercise session.

“During any form of exercise, it’s important to remember that safety is always a top priority,” Bryant added. “We recommend that riders treat the ElliptiGO like a bike, adhering to traffic laws and wearing a helmet at all times.”

To view the full study, visit: https://www.acefitness.org/prosourcearticle/5442/ready-set-elliptigo-ace-commissioned-research/

About ACE The nonprofit American Council on Exercise (ACE) educates, certifies, and represents more than 55,000 fitness professionals, health coaches, and other allied health professionals. ACE advocates for a new intersection of fitness and health care, bringing the highly qualified professionals that ACE represents into the healthcare continuum so they can contribute to the national solution to physical inactivity and obesity. ACE is the largest certifier in its space; all four of its primary certification programs are accredited by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA), the gold standard in the United States for assessing professional competence.  ACE also plays an important public-service role, conducting research and making available science-based information, and resources on safe and effective physical activity and sustainable behavior change. For more information, call (800) 825-3636 or visit ACEfitness.org. AMERICAN COUNCIL ON EXERCISE, ACE and ACE logos are Registered Trademarks of the American Council on Exercise.

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