Effects of kettlebell mass & swing cadence on heart rate, blood lactate and ratings of perceived exertion during an interval kettlebell swing protocol

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of kettlebell mass and swing cadence on heart rate, blood lactate and RPE during an interval kettlebell swing protocol in experienced female kettlebell users. Eighteen female participants completed 3 five-minute rounds of a 15-second on, 15-second off interval kettlebell swing protocol using an 8, 12 and 16 kg kettlebell on three separate testing sessions. Each testing session used a cadence of 8, 10 or 12 swing per 15 second interval (SPl[superscript 15]). Mean values for heart rate, blood lactate and RPE were measured for each five minute round of each testing session. The results of the repeated measures analysis of variance revealed that significant main effects were found for kettlebell mass (p < 0.05) and swing cadence (p < 0.05) on both heart rate and RPE. No significant interaction effects were found between heart rate and RPE, however, interaction effects were found for blood lactate. Pairwise comparisons indicated that the blood lactate interaction effects occurred between the 8 and 12 kg kettlebell at each cadence level (8, 10, 12 SPI), and between the 8 and 10 SPI cadence while using the 8 kg kettlebell. The results revealed that the kettlebell swing, regardless of kettlebell mass or swing cadence, provided ‘moderate’ to ‘vigorous’ intensity exercise that was sufficient to increase cardiovascular health according to ACSM guidelines. The results suggest specific kettlebell swing mass and cadence combinations that can be implemented into a strength and conditioning program.