Reliability of a 3-min all-out Arm Crank Ergometer Exercise Test

Area of Science:

• Exercise Physiology
• Sports Science
• Rehabilitation

Background:

• The 3-minute all-out test is standard for cycling ergometry.
• No equivalent standardized test exists for arm crank ergometry.
• Arm crank ergometry is crucial for assessing upper body function.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the test-retest reliability of a 3-minute all-out exercise test on an arm crank ergometer.
• To evaluate the reliability of key performance parameters derived from this test.
• To establish the validity of this test for able-bodied individuals.

Main Methods:

• 21 healthy participants (9 male, 12 female) completed two 3-minute all-out tests on an arm crank ergometer.
• Tests were separated by a 7-day interval to ensure no learning effect.
• Key performance metrics including peak power (PP), mean power (MP), fatigue index (FI), time to peak (TTP), and total work (TW) were recorded.

Main Results:

• Excellent test-retest reliability (ICC 0.940–0.984) was observed for PP, MP, FI, and TW.
• Time to peak (TTP) demonstrated very low reliability (ICC 0.379).
• All tested parameters, except TTP, were found to be highly reliable.

Conclusions:

• The 3-minute all-out test is a reliable method for assessing peak power, mean power, fatigue index, and total work in arm crank ergometry.
• The test provides a dependable measure of upper body exercise capacity for able-bodied individuals.
• Time to peak is not a reliable metric within this protocol and should be interpreted cautiously.