Week 8: Assessment of Fitness (Wingate Test) Flashcards
What is the “gold standard for assessing anaerobic capacity”?
The Wingate test.
What is the most commonly available cycle ergometer used to measure power output in real time?
Wattbike - measures power output four times during every revolution of the crank.
What are the standard outcome variables of the Wingate test?
- Peak power (watts)
- Relative peak power (watts/kilos)
- Fatigue index (peak power - min power)
- Overall work capacity in 30 seconds
What is very important in the Wingate test?
Warm up and cool down.
The warm up in particular has been shown to significantly impact the amount of power that a person can generate.
What is a typical wattage for the warm up?
60 watt (for initial warm up).
- 60 rpm with a resistance force of 1kg
What is the objective of the Wingate test?
To measure power for 30 seconds.
What determines the fixed load that will be added to the bikes resistance during the test?
Fixed load = 7.5% of the participant’s body mass.
What is meant by cadence in the case of the Wingate test?
The number of revs.
What can we do to get the patient use to the load before the test?
Load the bike and get the participant to carry out a quick sprint of 3 seconds.
Give a summary of a typical warmup.
- 5 mins of sub-maximal cycling at 60 watts
- Short practice sprint with load (3 seconds)
- Another few mins of sub-maximal cycling at 60 watts
Why is it essential that we give the patients an appropriate warm down? How long is typical?
It is essential that we keep the patient on the bike and keep their legs moving for approx. 20 mins after the test.
- Massive vasodilation and cardiac output occurs during the sprint
- If the patient gets off the bike and ceases exercise, this could result in venous pooling (and subsequent fainting)
