The intra-day and inter-day reliability of a 6-second Wingate to determine maximal peak power in endurance-trained athletes.
Level 4 - case-series / case-control
Single-cohort prospective repeated-measures reliability study without a control group.
PubMed 39240856 · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0307325
What was done
Twenty-seven endurance-trained athletes (22 males, 5 females) completed nine 6-second Wingate sprint cycling tests across four separate testing days (three trials on day 1; two trials each on days 2, 3, and 4). The authors assessed intra-day and inter-day reliability for maximal peak power (MPP) and time to peak power using repeated-measures ANOVA, intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC), and standard error of measurement (SEM).
What was found
There were no systematic differences across trials for MPP (F(4.09, 106.3) = 1.88, p = 0.117) or time to peak power (χ²(8) = 5.23, p = 0.732). Across all trials, reliability for MPP was high with an overall ICC of 0.95 and an SEM of 40.0 W (SEM% = 3.7%). Absolute reliability improved when taking the average or best daily MPP (SEM% = 2.7% and 2.9%, respectively). Between the first and second trials on days 1 to 3, no significant difference occurred, with similar reliability values (SEM% 3.2% vs. 2.8%).
Why it matters
A 6-second Wingate sprint provides an efficient, low-fatigue protocol to assess maximal peak power in endurance athletes. The findings indicate that two trials on an initial testing day followed by a single trial on subsequent days yield reliable measurements.
Limits
The sample size was small (n = 27) and predominantly male (22 males, 5 females), preventing sex-specific reliability conclusions. The abstract does not specify the exact endurance disciplines or competitive levels tested, nor does it report limits of agreement or criterion validity against other power assessments.
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- supports Peak power outputs during a Wingate anaerobic test typically occur within the first 5 to 10 seconds of the effort.