Determining MAOD Using a Single Exhaustive Severe Intensity Test

Maximal accumulated oxygen deficit (MAOD) provides a measure of anaerobic capacity. However, its measurement is a time-consuming process. The purpose of this study was to evaluate a measure of anaerobic capacity that avoids contentious assumptions and demands of the MAOD method. Twelve women and eight men volunteered for the study and completed cycle ergometer tests that resulted in exhaustion after ~4 min and ~8 min. In each test, anaerobic capacity was determined as (i) the MAOD and (ii) the sum of the phosphocreatine and glycolytic contributions (PCr+glycolysis). MAOD was determined by subtraction of the accumulated oxygen uptake from the total oxygen cost. Phosphocreatine and glycolytic contributions were calculated from post-exercise VO₂ and blood lactate responses. MAOD in the 4-min and 8-min tests (79.1 ± 7.6 mL·kg^-1 and 79.6 ± 7.4 mL·kg^-1) and PCr+glycolysis in these tests (80.0 ± 7.3 mL·kg^-1 and 79.0 ± 6.9 mL·kg^-1) were correlated (r ≥ 0.91) and not significantly different. These results support the use of postexercise measures to quantify the phosphocreatine and glycolytic contributions and to provide an alternative to MAOD for measurement of anaerobic capacity.