The influence of aerobic fitness on the recovery of peak power output

Purpose The aims of this study were to evaluate the recovery kinetics of peak power output (PPO) following a maximal sprint, and to evaluate the influence of aerobic fitness on that recovery process. Methods On separate occasions, 16 well-trained men (age: 21 ± 3 years; height: 1.84 ± 0.05 m; and body mass: 78.8 ± 7.8 kg) performed a 30 s maximal sprint on a cycle ergometer, followed by a predetermined stationary rest period (5, 10, 20, 40, 80, and 160 s) and a subsequent 5 s sprint to determine PPO recovery kinetics. On another occasion, V ˙ O 2 was monitored during recovery from a 30 s sprint to provide a comparison with the recovery of PPO. Finally, subjects completed a V ˙ O 2 max test to evaluate the influence of aerobic fitness on the recovery of PPO. Results Despite following similar time courses ( F = 0.36, p = 0.558), and being well described by double-exponential models, the kinetic parameters of PPO and V ˙ O 2 in recovery were significantly different ( p