Validation of a field test to determine the maximal aerobic power in triathletes and endurance cyclists

Carlos González-Haro ^1*, P A Galilea ², F Drobnic ² and J F Escanero ³

¹ Physical Activity and Sports Professional Medicine School (UB), Spain, Spain
² Sant Cugat del Vallés High Performance Center (CAR), Spain, Spain
³ Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, Faculty of Medicine (UZ), Spain, Spain

^* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: ghcarlos{at}gmail.com.

Accepted 4 December 2006

Abstract

Objective: To validate a field test to assess the maximal and sub-maximal exercise aerobic adaptation in specific conditions, for endurance modality cyclists and triathletes.

Methods: Thirty male and four female endurance modality cyclists and triathletes, with heterogeneous performance level, performed three incremental tests: one in laboratory and two in field. The validity of the field protocol was carried out by the Student's t-test, intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and coefficient of variation (CV) of the maximal variables (maximal aerobic speed (MAS), maximal aerobic power (MAP), maximal heart rate (HR_max), maximal blood lactate concentration ([La^-]_max) and maximal oxygen uptake (VO_2max)) and sub-maximal variables (heart rate [HR]) measured in each one of the tests. Measurement errors were calculated. The repeatability of the field tests was assessed by mans of the test-retest of the two field tests, and the validity by means of the test-retest of the laboratory test with respect to the mean of the two field tests.

Results: No significant differences were found between the two field tests for any of the variables studied, but differences did exist for some variables between the laboratory test with respect to the field tests (MAP, [La^-]_max, humidity (H), barometric pressure (Pb) and some characteristics of the protocols). The ICC of all the variables was high and the CV for the MAP was small. Furthermore, the measurement errors were small and therefore, assumable.

Conclusions: The incremental protocol of the proposed field test turned out to be valid to assess the maximal and sub-maximal aerobic adaptation.

Key Words: SRM, heart rate, mechanical power output, specific evaluation, velodrome test

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