Abstract
Sixteen competitive athletes in long-distance running (n=8) and cycle racing (n=8)
performed three maximal exercise tests on the treadmill as well as on the bicycle
ergometer. The test protocol for both ergometers was similar in work intensity and
duration. The results obtained at the maximum work load were compared between and
within the two groups of athletes. Comparing treadmill to bicycle exercise, the oxygen
uptake was 14% higher on treadmill in the longdistance runners, but equal in the cycle
racers. The work efficiency on both types of ergometers showed a clear relationship
with the training activity: the cycle racers worked more efficiently on the bicycle
ergometer while the results of the long-distance runners were better on the treadmill.
Heart rate and minute ventilation reached similar values in the cycle racers on both
ergometers, but treadmill exercise induced higher values in the long-distance runners
as compared to cycling. Opposite results were found in the variables of the acid-base
balance: lactate concentration and base exess reached similar values (13 and -14 mmol
l-1, respectively) in the long-distance runners on both ergometers, but in the cycle
racers bicycle exercise induced higher values than running. From these results it
can be concluded that congruence between the mode of ergometer exercise and the sport
activity improves the validity of the test results.
Key words
bicycle ergometry - treadmill running - exercise testing - oxygen uptake - specificity
of exercise testing/training
