Analysis of Seated and Standing Triple Wingate Tests

Abstract

Observations of athletes in seated and standing cycling positions in laboratory and field settings have led to the perception that they produce different outputs. The purpose of this study was to determine whether there are differences in power output and physiological responses between seated and standing positions of athletes during 3 consecutive Wingate tests. Seven (n = 7) elite-level speedskaters completed 3 x 30-second Wingate tests (resistance = 7.5% body weight) with 3.5 minutes of recovery between each test in both seated and standing positions. During the recovery period, athletes pedaled against no resistance in the seated position. Testing was randomized and separated by at least 48 hours. Power output, heart rate, blood lactate, and muscle oxygenation data were collected. Statistical analysis of comparable tests (i.e., seated Wingate test 1 [WinD1] compared with standing Wingate test 1 [WinU1]; WinD2:WinU2; WinD3:WinU3) revealed no significant differences between the seated and standing variables. Position during a short-duration maximal-effort exercise test on a stationary bike did not produce statistically different results in power, maximal heart rate, blood lactate, or muscle oxygenation. As no differences were detected between positions, practitioners can allow subjects to choose their position. Also, if a subject rises out of the seat during a "seated" test, this change may not affect the subject's physiological variables. However, transitioning from one position to the other during the test is not advised due to the possible chance of injury. It should be acknowledged that there may be reasons for stipulating one position over another (e.g., injuries, leg length).

Alterations in Peak Ground-Reaction Force During 60-cm Drop Landings Caused by a Single Session of Repeated Wingate Anaerobic Tests

“…These results are consistent with subsequent WATs performed with 3 minutes and 20 seconds of recovery. 36 Wilson et al 36 reported a power decline of 48% to 56% across participants who performed repeated conditions of the WAT on different days and cycling positions. Our results are also comparable to normative data of power declines reported for men (47% ± 7.6%) and women (42% ± 7.9%) in NCAA Division I sports.…”

Effect of Listening to Music on Wingate Anaerobic Test Performance. A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

“…Anyway, other variables, including some not specified by the researchers, may influence the results of the research. Those related to WAnT include: the type of warm-up before the test [75] as a warm-up with changes in pace that may help to improve performance later on in the test; resistance provided by the cicloergometer [76] as a type of resistance that is too low, such as the recommended 7.5% of body mass, may not help to achieve maximum performance; the time of day when the test is done [74], i.e., in the evening, may increase test performance; the change in position adopted by the subject in the cicloergometer during the test [77] may help to improve performance; the geometry of the bicycle [78] which, although it would seem to have no influence, has not as yet been subject to much study. As for the music used: the volume at which the music is played can influence performance [26], and a higher volume can be more motivating; the participants' previous experiences with music [10], because a song can recall moments and emotions for one subject but not for another; whether the music is their favorite or not [26,32], which can provide motivation; and generally speaking, their level of education (in six of the eight research cases, they were students, but level of education was not provided) [10].…”

Performance comparison in the Wingate test between standing and seated positions in competitive cyclists

“…Therefore, the Wingate test (WT) is an anaerobic exercise test, most often performed on a stationary bicycle, that measures peak anaerobic power and anaerobic capacity 5 . It has been utilized in different populations 1,6,7 , especially to evaluate anaerobic performance in an all-out 30-s sprint (i.e., high-intensity effort). The data provided from this test are: peak power (PP), normally obtained in the initial seconds, average power generated during the test (AP), and the fatigue index (FI) which consists of performance reduction between the maximum and minimum power output 5 .…”

“…The main recommendation in the execution of the WT is the position of the cyclist on the saddle, who should remain seated from the initial moment of acceleration of the pedals until the end of the test 8,9 . However, in race situations, there is a possibility of creating greater power according to the adopted position of the cyclist, that is, standing or seated 6,7 . Reiser et al 6 observed an increase in PP when the WT was conducted with the cyclist standing, although subsequent studies did not find an effect of position on power production 1,7 .…”