General
The Conconi Test is a maximal test in which resistance and heart rate gradually increase. At first, the heart frequency and the resistance increase linearly. At a certain moment a deviation can be seen. This is seen as the threshold. To record this threshold exactly, it is important to not stop running immediately.
Research has shown a causality exists between the anaerobic threshold and the threshold. This is why this test is regularly used in sports to globally determine the anaerobic threshold.
Content
The test consists of the following components:
- Warming up
- 12-16 blocks of 200 m
- Cooldown

Procedure
There are two possible types of procedures. One procedure is based on a distance and increases the resistance based on the distance completed. The other procedure is based on time and increases the resistance as more time lapses.
Steps
Procedure time
- Start the warming up of approximately ten minutes at low intensity;
- The test starts at a low intensity. Children (4-5 km/h), untrained (5-7 km/h), athletes (8-12 km/h);
- After this, the resistance is increased every minute with a maximum of eight heart beats;
- Both the speed and the heart frequency are continuously registered during the test;
- At one point, the heart rate can no longer be called linear. This point is considered the threshold. Try to go on for a bit after this;
Procedure distance
- Start the warming up of approximately ten minutes at low intensity;
- The test starts by running 200 meters at a reasonably high speed;
- The resistance is then increased every 200 meters. This process is repeated until the test person can no longer go faster;
- Both the speed and the heart frequency are continuously registered during the test;
- At one point, the heart rate can no longer be called linear. This point is considered the threshold. Try to go on for a bit after this.
Results
Process the measured heart rate and the accompanying speed in a graph. Then look at when the heart rate slows compared to the speed. This is seen as the threshold. The data of a fictitious athlete are processed in the table below. The red line indicates the threshold. In this case, the line no longer shows a linear increase at a running speed of 15 km/h.
Required equipment
For this test you need the following:
- An athletics track, or measured track
- Measuring tape
- Test forms