Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Metabolic health is closely related to physical activity, and different types of motor skills may induce distinct physiological responses. To investigate the differences in energy expenditure and substrate metabolic characteristics between university students engaged in closed motor skills and open motor skills physical education classes, and to provide exercise prescription and theoretical reference for metabolic health promotion. METHODS: Thirty-six male university students (n = 36, year = 20.83 ± 1.98) were recruited and asked to perform sequential open motor skills exercise (cricket practice, time = 40 min) and closed motor skills exercise (closed motor skills, time = 40 min) during university physical education classes. Resting energy expenditure (REE), exercise energy expenditure (EEE), energy expenditure rate (EER), respiratory quotient (RQ), fat energy supply rate (FESR), fat energy supply proportion (FESP), fat oxidation amount (FOA), fat oxidation rate (FOR), sugar energy supply rate (SESR), sugar energy supply proportion (SESP), sugar oxidation amount (SOA), sugar oxidation rate (SOR), rating of perceived exertion (RPE) and feeling scale (FS) was measured before exercise, during exercise in class, during a 3-h recovery period after class, and for 4 consecutive days after class. RESULTS: EEE, FOA, and FESP were significantly lower (P < 0.01) for open motor skills but higher (P < 0.01) for SESP than for closed motor skills during in-class practice. Within 3 h of recovery after class, EEE, FOA, FESP, and FS were significantly higher for open motor skills than for closed motor skills (P < 0.05), but lower for SOA, SOA, SESP, and RPE than for closed motor skills (P < 0.01). Within 4 consecutive days after training, the REE for open motor skills was higher than pre-training (P < 0.05) on days 1 and 2, and higher than closed motor skills (P < 0.05) on day 1. The RQ of open motor skills was lower than that of pre-exercise and closed motor skills on day 1 and day 2 after exercise (P < 0.01, P < 0.05), whereas both REE and RQ of closed motor skills were not significantly different from pre-exercise at 4 days. CONCLUSION: (1) Open and closed motor skills have similar effects in promoting lipid and glucose metabolism, but open motor skills have a higher perception of exercise experience. (2) During exercise, open motor skills are more dependent on glucose supply than closed motor skills. However, during the recovery period, open motor skills are more fat-fueled and glycogen is more likely to be resynthesized to replenish depleted glycogen during exercise. (3) Open motor skills are superior to closed motor skills in increasing resting metabolic levels and fat metabolism efficiency.