Anaerobic Capacity Calculator
Anaerobic capacity is the total energy deliverable above the critical power threshold, produced through phosphocreatine and glycolytic pathways. This calculator uses the Wingate Anaerobic Test methodology: enter your body mass to get the recommended ergometer resistance, then enter your peak and minimum power outputs over the 30-second sprint to compute relative peak power, mean power, and fatigue index.
Wingate test formulas (Bar-Or, 1987)
Resistance (kg) = 0.075 x body mass (kg)
Relative peak power (W/kg) = peak power / body mass
Relative mean power (W/kg) = mean power / body mass
Fatigue index (%) = ((peak power - min power) / peak power) x 100
The resistance factor of 0.075 is the standard Wingate protocol for cycle ergometry as described by Bar-Or (1987) at McMaster University.
Interpreting your results
- Relative peak power above 10 W/kg indicates excellent anaerobic capacity for trained athletes.
- Fatigue index below 30% suggests good anaerobic endurance (ability to sustain high power).
- Fatigue index above 50% is typical in pure sprinters with a high proportion of fast-twitch fibres.
- Relative mean power reflects overall anaerobic work capacity over the full 30-second effort.
Anaerobic capacity: frequently asked questions
What is anaerobic capacity?
Anaerobic capacity is the total amount of energy that can be produced without oxygen during maximal exercise. It is often expressed as W' (W-prime) in cycling, representing the finite energy store above the critical power threshold. A larger W' means the athlete can sustain high intensities for longer before exhaustion.
What is the Wingate test?
The Wingate Anaerobic Test (WAnT) is a 30-second maximal sprint on a cycle ergometer against a resistance calibrated to body mass (typically 7.5% of body mass in kg as resistance in kg). It measures peak power, mean power, and fatigue index. It is described in the original methodology by Bar-Or (1987) from McMaster University.
How is anaerobic power estimated from the Wingate test?
Peak anaerobic power (W) = peak power output in watts, usually achieved in the first 5 seconds. Mean anaerobic power = average power over 30 seconds. The Wingate protocol sets resistance at 7.5% of body mass: resistance (kg) = 0.075 x body mass (kg). Power = resistance (kp) x pedalling rate (rpm) x 11.765.
What is the fatigue index?
Fatigue index (%) = ((peak power - minimum power) / peak power) x 100. A higher fatigue index indicates a greater drop in power output over the 30 seconds, reflecting low anaerobic endurance (fast-twitch fibre dominance). Elite sprinters typically show high fatigue indices.
What are typical Wingate values?
Untrained adults: peak power approximately 6-8 W/kg. Trained athletes: 8-12 W/kg. Elite sprinters: 12-16 W/kg. Mean power for untrained adults is approximately 5-7 W/kg. Values are higher in men than women when expressed in absolute watts, but differences reduce when expressed relative to lean mass.
Official sources
- Bar-Or O (1987). The Wingate anaerobic test: an update on methodology, reliability and validity. Sports Medicine, 4(6), 381-394. PubMed 3324256.
- Inbar O, Bar-Or O, Skinner JS (1996). The Wingate Anaerobic Test. Human Kinetics.
Reviewed by the CalculatorHub team, edited by James Graham, 14 June 2026. See our methodology.