Figure 1.

Determination of the best measures for rates of whole‐body oxygen consumption (VO₂) and power at maximal efforts in relation to endurance performance. The median difference and 95% confidence interval between methods for determining absolute (_abs; L·min⁻¹) VO₂ (a), relative (_rel; ml·min⁻¹·kg^−0.32) VO₂ (b), and power (W·kg^−0.32; c) at maximal efforts. The relationship between _absVO₂ (d), _relVO₂ (e), and power (f) in relation to 25‐km time trial time‐to‐completion (TTC). The red lines represent the respective averages of corresponding measures collected during exercise tests 1 (¹) and 2 (²) and the dotted red line represents 95% confidence interval. Linear regression relationships between traditional variables collected at maximal efforts in relation to TTC (g). The labels within bars reports individual Adj R² values representing explained variance and the labels outside of the error bars represents the standard error of the estimate (SEE) as a percent of the averaged group TTC (2,680.9 s). The highest but most stable (flattest slope) average VO₂ across the greatest range of time was used to determine VO_2max ¹ with corresponding measures of W_max ¹ derived as the average power across that same range of time. Alternatively, VO_2peak ^{1 & 2} were determined as the highest 30 s average VO₂ throughout each respective exercise test with W_peak ¹ values reflecting average measures of power output across that same range of time. Peak power output (PPO¹) was determined as the power output at the point of exhaustion for exercise test 1