Peak Power Output During A 15m Wheelchair Overground Sprint Can Be A Measure Of Anaerobic Capacity

To test the hypothesis that 1) peak power output and 2) time of a 15m WC overground sprint are valid alternatives for outcome measures of a 30s Wingate-like sprint test in a WC ergometer. Able-bodied men and women (age: 18-30y, length: 163-195 cm, weight: 50-94 kg) performed a 30s Wingate-like sprint test in a WC ergometer (start velocity = 0 m times s super(-1)). Torque around the right wheel axle was measured, enabling determination of 1) peak power output, 2) mean power over the full 30s-test, and 3) mean power over a 5s-interval after the first start-up strokes. Unilateral peak power in the 15m WC sprint was 228 (+ or -72) W, and 250 (+ or -85) W in the WC ergometer test. Unilateral peak power in the 15m overground test was strongly correlated to ergometer peak power (r = 0.765), 30s-power (r = 0.836), and 5spower (r = 0.716) at P < or = 0.001.