The critical power model for intermittent exercise.
This paper develops and illustrates the critical power model for intermittent work. Model theoretic development reveals that total endurance time is always a step function of one or more of the four independent variables: work interval power output ( P(w)), rest interval power output ( P(r)), work interval duration ( t(w)), and rest interval duration ( t(r)). Six endurance-trained male athletes recorded their best performances during the season in 3-, 5-, and 10-km races, and performed three different intermittent running tests to exhaustion in random order, recording their total endurance times. These data were used to illustrate the model and compare anaerobic distance capacities (alpha) and critical velocities (beta) estimated from each type of exercise. Good fits of the model to data were obtained in all cases: 0.954< R(2)<0.999. Critical velocity was found to be significantly less when estimated using an intermittent versus continuous running protocol.
Morton
R Hugh
RH
Institute of Food, Nutrition and Human Health, Massey University, Private Bag 11-222, Palmerston North, New Zealand. h.morton@massey.ac.nz
Billat
L Veronique
LV
D000465:Algorithms; D015308:Anaerobic Threshold / Q000502:physiology*; D004735:Energy Transfer / Q000502:physiology*; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology*; D005080:Exercise Test / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008954:Models, Biological; D005082:Physical Exertion / Q000502:physiology; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012146:Rest / Q000502:physiology; D012420:Running / Q000502:physiology*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013223:Statistics as Topic