LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Protocol for the Conconi Test and Determination of the
Heart Rate Deflection Point
G. GRAZZI, I. CASONI, G. MAZZONI, S. ULIARI, F. CONCONI
Centro Studi Biomedici Applicati allo Sport, Università degli Studi di
Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
Received May 2, 2005
Accepted May 9, 2005
Recently
Ozcelik and Kelestimur (2004) have assessed the validity of the heart
rate deflection point in the power output-heart rate relationship (Conconi
test) for estimating the anaerobic threshold in different experimental
conditions (normoxia and hypoxia). In their study, the tests were
performed with an electromagnetically braked cycle ergometer at constant
cadence with increments in power output obtained by increasing the
pedalling resistance.
In cycle ergometry, modifications of the testing protocol give rise to
modifications of neurohumoral and gas exchange responses (Gullestad et al.
1997), of power outputs at given respiratory exchange ratios (Amann et al.
2004) and modifications of the relationship between work rate, oxygen
uptake and heart rate (Myers and Froelicher 1990). In this letter, we
discuss the differences between the testing protocol used by Ozcelik and
Kelestimur and the one developed by Conconi et al. (1996) and Grazzi et
al. (1999).
Three points of the testing procedure used by the authors will be
particularly considered.
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