Critical power test for ramp exercise

Abstract

The critical power test for cycle ergometry has been criticised as providing an overestimate of the real value of the critical power. Part of the blame may rest in the practical problem associated with getting reliable measurements of longer endurance times when power settings are not much above the critical power. However, by adjusting the incremental slope of ramp exercises, exhaustion brought about by high power and in a reasonably short time can be ensured, so avoiding this practical problem. This communication presents the theory and methods required to obtain estimates of both anaerobic work capacity and critical power from several ramp tests conducted to exhaustion. The method is illustrated with published laboratory data collected from exercising subjects.