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ABSTRACT.
Forbes, S.C., and P.D. Chilibeck. Comparison of a kayaking ergometer protocol with an arm crank protocol for evaluating peak oxygen consumption. J. Strength Cond. Res. 21(4):1282-1285. 2007.-The purpose of this study was to compare a kayak ergometer protocol with an arm crank protocol for determining peak oxygen consumption (VO^sub 2^). On separate days in random order, 10 men and 5 women (16-24 years old) with kayaking experience completed the kayak ergometer protocol and a standardized arm crank protocol. The kayak protocol began at 70 strokes per minute and increased by 10 strokes per minute every 2 minutes until volitional fatigue. The arm crank protocol consisted of a crank rate of 70 revolutions per minute, initial loading of 35 W and subsequent increases of 35 W every 2 minutes until volitional fatigue. The results showed a significant difference (p < 0.01) between the kayak ergometer and the arm crank protocols for relative peak VO^sub 2^ (47.5 ± 3.9 ml.kg^sup -1^.min^sup -1^ vs. 44.2 ± 6.2 ml.kg^sup -1^.min^sup -1^) and absolute peak VO^sub 2^ (3.38 L.min^sup -1^ ± 0.53 vs. 3.14 ± 0.64 L.min^sup -1^). The correlation between kayak and arm crank protocol was 0.79 and 0.90, for relative and absolute VO^sub 2^ peak, respectively (both p < 0.01). The higher peak VO^sub 2^ on the kayak ergometer may be due to the greater muscle mass involved compared to the arm crank ergometer. The kayak ergometer protocol may therefore be more specific to the sport of kayaking than an arm crank protocol
KEY WORDS. peak VO^sub 2^, aerobic
INTRODUCTION
Tests that measure peak oxygen consumption (VO^sub 2^peak) have a high relevance to sports that depend on high aerobic capacities (15). VO^sub 2^peak has been primarily studied in sports such as running, biking, swimming, and cross-country skiing. Running and cycling ergometers are most commonly used to assess VO^sub 2^, therefore, if testing for sports other than running or cycling, these lab tests lack both sport function and specificity (15).
Several studies have shown that VO^sub 2^peak is an important physiological characteristic of sprint kayakers (1, 2, 9, 14). Sprint kayakers compete at several distances: 200, 500, and 1,000 m. These distances have been shown to place considerable demands on the aerobic energy system (16). VO^sub 2^peak...