If you're a couch potato or weekend warrior, you probably won't ever receive an anaerobic test, but if you're an elite athlete, it could be an important part of your training. The test is most relevant to sprinters, but also helpful if you participate in a team or individual sport with a lot of sprinting, such as football or hockey. One way to test anaerobic capacity is via measurements taken while you're on a treadmill.
Identification
Unlike aerobic activities, which use oxygen, your anaerobic capacity is the total amount of short-term high energy your body generates from fuels that don't use oxygen, such as lactic acid. Tests on anaerobic capacity are used to help determine how successful elite athletes will be in their sport, especially athletes such as alpine ski racers who work at high intensities for a short period.
Types
Anaerobic tests were first performed on stationary cycles, with the Wingate Anaerobic Test among the most popular. However, it didn't address the need for a running-specific anaerobic test, so in 1969, D.A. Cunningham and J.A. Faulkner published information about a new treadmill-based test in the journal "Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise." This treadmill test can take the form of a fast test, with a faster speed and shorter duration or a slow test, with slower speed and longer duration.
Protocol
In the basic anaerobic treadmill test, you'll be placed on a motor-drive treadmill with front and side handrails and fitted into a harness attaching you to the railing or ceiling, for safety. You'll be given a period of time to become acclimated to the gear and to cool down. The goal of the test is to have you run on the treadmill at a speed of eight miles per hour and an incline of 20 percent until you're unable to continue. The time it takes to reach this point will be measured by a stopwatch and noted to compare with further tests. Your maximal blood lactate values may also be taken afterward to get more information about your anaerobic capacity.
Considerations
Because this is an extremely exhausting test, it should always be performed with the side rails and harness and with attendants standing by to stop the treadmill at any time if you feel ill or incapacitated. If there isn't a harness available, it's wise to have spotters on hand to catch you if you should run or fall off the machine. Although this test normally isn't given to anyone not already in good physical condition, you should get a checkup from your physical trainer or a health care provider before attempting this test.
References
- "Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports": A Treadmill Test of Sprint Running; B. Falk et al.; September 1996
- Simon Fraser University: Treadmill Laboratory
- Brian Mac Sports Coach: Cunningham and Faulkner Test
- Informaworld: Comparison of Maximal Anaerobic Running Tests on a Treadmill and Track: Ari Nummela et al.; January 2007
- "Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise"; The Effect of Training on Aerobic and Anaerobic Metabolism During a Short Exhaustive Run; David A. Cunningham et al; June 1969
