Exergy efficiency on incremental stationary bicycle test: A new indicator of exercise performance?

Abstract

The first and second laws of the thermodynamics were applied to the human body to evaluate the performance of subjects under different training levels. Ten cyclists were evaluated in the stationary bicycle with the indirect calorimetry analysis to obtain the metabolism on an energy and exergy basis. A distinguishing feature of this article is the evaluation of the exergy efficiency of the body with the knowledge of the real performed power and the internal temperature (measured tympanic temperature and calculated esophagus temperature). Regarding the skin temperature, an infrared camera was used to measure different parts of the body. Therefore, the phenomenological behavior of the body was assessed and used as a basis to apply the exergy analysis. Results indicate that the destroyed exergy can be an indicator of performance when compared with maximum oxygen consumption. Nevertheless, more experiments must be carried out to proper state if there is a correlation. Eventually, the exergy efficiency was calculated for all subjects, and its value was around 23 to 28%.