Critical power as a measure of physical work capacity and anaerobic threshold

Abstract

Monod and Scherrer (1965) showed that there was a linear relation between the maximal work and the maximal time over which the work was performed until the onset of local muscular exhaustion. This linear relation could be expressed by the equation: Wlim = a +b Wlim where maximal work (Wlim) was thought to result from the use of an energy reserve (a) and an energy reconstitution whose maximal rate was (b). We have extended this concept to total body work (bicycle ergometer). Eight male and eight female college students underwent exercise tests at 400, 350, 300, 275 and 300, 250, 200, 175 W respectively, to Ihe onset of fatigue. The regression analysis revealed that the linearity of individual plots was found to be 0-982 < 0998 (p<0-01). Experimental results indicated that the maximal energy reconstitution rate (h) was correlated with the onset of anaerobic threshold (AT) as determined by the gas exchange method (r=0-928, p < 0-001) and the regression equation: V02 max (l/min)=000795 x [a + b] + 0.114 could be used to predict V02 max with a SEE of 0241/min. © 1981 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.