Abstract
It has been generally considered that physical fitness is represented by exercise performance under aerobic conditions. However, we are often required to exert highly powerful movements momentarily or within a few seconds in daily life. Therefore, when we evaluate physical fitness, it appears important to evaluate physical fitness not only under aerobic conditions, but also under anaerobic conditions, with the latter being represented by maximal muscle power. In the daily living of people with physical disabilities, whether or not they can achieve a specific activity (for example, standing up, getting up from the floor and sitting down, etc.) is considered to depend on their performance under anaerobic conditions rather than under aerobic conditions. The Wingate anaerobic test (WAnT) has been developed as one of the most precise tests to evaluate anaerobic exercise performance. The WAnT, established at the Wingate Institute in Israel in 1970s, is a test incorporating bicycle riding with a maximal effort for 30 seconds. An ergometer with equipment to load an examinee with a constant resistance from a suspended weight is used in this test. The WAnT is measured as the changes in mechanical power that are yielded by multiplying the resistance produced from a suspended weight by the rotation speed of pedaling during a period of 30 seconds. The WAnT has not been usually applied so far to disabled people due to some technical problems. However, we have been improving the test to overcome those problems so that we can adopt the WAnT in the field of rehabilitation. We expect that this modified WAnT would contribute to a comprehensive evaluation of physical fitness in people with disabilities.
