Examination of Resistance Settings Based on Body Weight for the 3-Minute All-Out Critical Power Test

• Main Author: Schulte, Marlene
• Format: Others
• Published: UKnowledge 2016
• Subjects: critical power; Health and Physical Education
• Online Access: http://uknowledge.uky.edu/khp_etds/30; http://uknowledge.uky.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1031&context=khp_etds

This study examined whether the critical power (CP) and anaerobic work capacity (AWC) estimates from the CP 3-min all-out (CP3min) test were affected by the percentage of body weight used to set the resistance on a Monark cycle ergometer. Twenty-one subjects (11 women and 10 men) were placed into one of three groups (n=7) based on activity level; recreationally trained (REC), aerobic and anaerobic sport (SPORT), and endurance trained (END). The CP3min test was conducted at 4.5% of body weight (CP4.5%) and at a resistance setting based on group activity level (CPACT; REC = 3%, SPORT = 4%, and END = 5% of body weight). There were no differences between the CP4.5% or CPACT estimates in any of the three training groups. The AWC3% estimates were significantly lower than the AWC4.5% for the REC group, but there were no differences in the AWC4.5% and AWCACT for the SPORT or END groups.The principal finding of this study was that a resistance of 4.5% of body weight for CP3-min test may be used to estimate CP and AWC, without regard to the training status of the subjects.