Air biking as a new way for stress testing

Abstract

Stress testing is an integral part of assessing cardiorespiratory fitness. Air bike is a cardio machine that has lately become quite popular among both professional athletes and general public. It is a type of stationary bike equipped with two handles allowing also upper-body activity. The aim of this study was to verify efficiency of stress ramp test to failure using air bike and to assess correlation between air bike performance and strength, endurance, and anthropometric parameters. The experimental group comprised 20 physically active individuals (average age: 22.1). The spiroergometric test protocol on air bike consisted of 3-minutes levels with no break. The testing led to high physiological values (HRmax = 189.7 bpm, RERmax: 1.12), the average test duration was 14 minutes. The most statistically significant connection (p = 0.01) with air bike performance was identified in fat-free mass (FFM) (0.86), back squat (0.83), bench press (0.84), 2 km row (−0.85). A less significant connection was discovered with VO2peak (0.68). Air bike was proven a suitable method for stress testing. Air bike performance depends mostly on FFM and strength parameters. Due to its specific usage (lower cadence, more strength focused work) that differs from running or stationary bike, it can be a suitable alternative for certain individuals or specific groups.