The purpose of this study was to evaluate conditions for conducting a 30 s Wingate test such as load selection, and the method of starting the test (stationary or flying start). Nine male and four female athletes volunteered to be tested on four laboratory visits. Tests were performed on a modified Monark cycle ergometer (Varberg, Sweden) equipped with force transducers on the friction belt and an optical encoder for velocity measurement. Power was calculated with the moment of inertia (I) of the flywheel taken into consideration. One laboratory visit was used to determine individualized optimal resistance conditions. The other three visits were for performance of one of three Wingate tests: a flying start with 0.834 N x kg(-1) [85 g x kg(-1) body weight (BW)] resistance (FLY-0.8); a stationary start with 0.834 N x kg(-1) BW resistance (ST-0.8), or a stationary start with optimal resistance (ST-OPT). FLY-0.8 gave a lower (P<0.05) value for short-term work capacity [19,986 (827) J] than either ST-OPT [23,014 (1,167) J] or ST-0.8 [22,321 (1075) J]. Peak power output per pedal revolution was lower ( P<0.005) for FLY-0.8 [833 (40) W] than for either ST-0.8 [974 (57) W] or ST-OPT [989 (61) W]. The results of this study demonstrate that higher values for peak power and short-term work capacity are obtained with a test from a stationary start. It is apparently not necessary to use an individualized optimal resistance when I is considered in a Wingate test initiated from a standstill.

The purpose of this study was to assess the accuracy of the new basket-loaded Wingate ergometer introduced by Monark (Model 834E). Velocity was measured directly from the pedal switch while tension was measured with transducers on each end of the brake lacing. Moment of inertia of the flywheel was determined and accounted for in the calculation of power. Constant load tests (39.24 to 98.1 N), were done at pedaling speeds from 80 to 140 r x min(-1) (flywheel angular velocity = 30-50 rad x s(-1)). The load transmitted to the lacing at the front and back of the flywheel was 95.5 +/- 0.8% (mean +/- SEM) and 6.71 +/- 0.8%, respectively, of the load in the basket. Thus, the resultant tension (front minus back) was on average 88.8 +/- 0.57% of the applied load. The velocity recorded by the Monark Wingate Ergometer computer program (MWECP) was the same (100.4 +/- 1.56%) as that determined from the pedal switch directly. Five male mountain bikers performed a 30-s all-out test. Peak power calculated by MWECP (1181 +/- 55W) was always higher (p < .01) than that calculated from direct measures of tension and velocity (1102 +/- 66W), when not taking into account the moment of inertia. These experiments suggest that the basket-loaded Monark Wingate ergometer does not provide a correct calculation of power because of incomplete load transmission to the flywheel.