Wingate Sprint

A Wingate sprint is an anaerobic test, commonly performed on a cycle ergometer, to determine peak anaerobic power and anaerobic capacity.

Wingate Protocol

The common Wingate sprint procedure includes a brief warm-up phase at low intensity, followed by 20-30 seconds supramaximal sprint against a high resistance, and several minutes easy pedaling again at low intensity (Figure 1).

Figure 1: Common Wingate sprint protocol

The braking torque that is applied during the supramaximal sprint is calculated by multiplying the subjects body weight with the torque factor.

Applications

Wingate Sprints as part of Sprint interval training (SIT) can be used by athletes but also by sedentary individuals or patients. While athletes may improve their performance with SIT, sedentary individuals and various patient groups can use SIT to prevent or treat a range of chronic diseases like Type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, certain cancers and many other disorders.

Energy supply

Rapid energy supply during a Wingate sprint is predominantly provided by anaerobic systems. However, the 3 main energy systems, phosphocreatine breakdown, glycolysis, and oxidative phosphorylation contribute during the sprint.