CRITICAL POWER TEST FOR RAMP EXERCISE

The critical power test for cycle ergometry has been criticised as pro viding an overestimate of the real value of the critical power. Part o f the blame may rest in the practical problem associated with getting reliable measurements of longer endurance times when power settings ar e not much above the critical power. However, by adjusting the increme ntal slope of ramp exercises, exhaustion brought about by high power a nd in a reasonably short time can be ensured, so avoiding this practic al problem. This communication presents the theory and methods require d to obtain estimates of bath anaerobic work capacity and critical pow er from several ramp tests conducted to exhaustion. The method is illu strated with published laboratory data collected from exercising subje cts.