REF-758 · Capostagno B, Lambert MI, Lamberts RP — 2016 · International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance, · Paper · PubMed
Systematic review of submaximal cycle tests: 12 studies, three distinct tests; predicted time to exhaustion, submaximal power, RPE and heart-rate recovery were the most useful variables, and the authors call for short, non-invasive, multivariable tests read together
Key Findings
Predicted time to exhaustion, submaximal power output, RPE and HRR appeared most valuable for monitoring improvement and fatigue.
To be run regularly, a test must be short and non-invasive.
A test should capture several variables and interpret them together (multivariate) before training is altered.
Practical Application
Read a submaximal test as a set — output at the fixed load, RPE and HRR together — and change training only on the combination. Every single variable in these tests has a documented "fatigue looks like fitness" failure (REF-755, REF-757).
Keep the test short enough to live inside a normal warm-up; a test that costs a session will not be repeated often enough to be useful.
Limitations
Small literature (12 studies), dominated by one research group; mostly male, trained cyclists.
No pooled effect sizes.