Specificity of Aerobic and Anaerobic Work Capacities and Powers

Thirty-three untrained subjects of both sexes, 18-31 years of age, performed several tests on cycle ergometers. Maximal aerobic power (MAP) was obtained in a progressive work test. Maximal aerobic capacity (MAC) was measured in a 90-min maximal test and was computed as the total work output during that period. Two all-out cycle ergometer work tests lasting 10 s and 90 s were used to estimate the anaerobic alactic capacity (AAC) and lactic capacity (ALC). Anaerobic alactic power (AAP) was computed as the highest output in 1 s in the AAC test and anaerobic lactic power (ALP) was obtained as the mean output during the last 5 s in an all-out test of 30 s. Correlation coefficients were computed between all measurements of capacity and power expressed per kg of body weight as well as with scores adjusted for sex differences. Common variances (r2 X 100) between measurements of power were either low (MAP-AAP, 40%) or moderate (MAP-ALP, 61%; AAP-ALP, 62%) while common variances between measurements of capacity were sometimes low (MAC-AAC, 49%) or higher (MAC-ALC, 76%; AAC-ALC, 77%). The common variances between tests of power and capacity reached high values when calculated with metabolic criteria of the same class (MAP-MAC, 81%; AAP-AAC, 92%). These results provide quantitative evidence to support the notion of specificity between the aerobic and the anaerobic work performances and support the distinction between capacity and power of the three energy systems.