Short, Kevin R., and Darlene A. Sedlock. Excess postexercise oxygen consumption and recovery rate in trained and untrained subjects. J. Appl. Physiol. 83(1): 153-159, 1997.The purpose of this study was to determine whether aerobic fitness level would influence measurements of excess postexercise oxygen consumption (EPOC) and initial rate of recovery. Twelve trained [Tr; peak oxygen consumption (O_{2 peak}) = 53.3 ± 6.4 ml · kg¹ · min¹] and ten untrained (UT; O_{2 peak} = 37.4 ± 3.2 ml · kg¹ · min¹) subjects completed two 30-min cycle ergometer tests on separate days in the morning, after a 12-h fast and an abstinence from vigorous activity of 24 h. Baseline metabolic rate was established during the last 10 min of a 30-min seated preexercise rest period. Exercise workloads were manipulated so that they elicited the same relative, 70% O_{2 peak} (W70%), or the same absolute, 1.5 l/min oxygen uptake (O₂) (W1.5), intensity for all subjects, respectively. Recovery O₂, heart rate (HR), and respiratory exchange ratio (RER) were monitored in a seated position until baseline O₂ was reestablished. Under both exercise conditions, Tr had shorter EPOC duration (W70% = 40 ± 15 min, W1.5 = 21 ± 9 min) than UT (W70% = 50 ± 14 min; W1.5 = 39 ± 14 min), but EPOC magnitude (Tr: W70% = 3.2 ± 1.0 liters O₂, W1.5 = 1.5 ± 0.6 liters O₂; UT: W70% = 3.5 ± 0.9 liters O₂, W1.5 = 2.4 ± 0.6 liters O₂) was not different between groups. The similarity of Tr and UT EPOC accumulation in the W70% trial is attributed to the parallel decline in absolute O₂ during most of the initial recovery period. Tr subjects had faster relative decline during the fast-recovery phase, however, when a correction for their higher exercise O₂ was taken. Postexercise O₂ was lower for Tr group for nearly all of the W1.5 trial and particularly during the fast phase. Recovery HR kinetics were remarkably similar for both groups in W70%, but recovery was faster for Tr during W1.5. RER values were at or below baseline throughout much of the recovery period in both groups, with UT experiencing larger changes than Tr in both trials. These findings indicate that Tr individuals have faster regulation of postexercise metabolism when exercising at either the same relative or same absolute work rate.