This study investigated the influence of stage duration on the calculation of peak oxygen consumption (peak V̇O 2 ) to determine whether both the lactate threshold (LT) and peak V̇O 2 could be measured during the same test without compromising the peak V̇O 2 value obtained. Eight moderately-active females (mean age ± SD = 19.6 ± 2.5 years) performed three peak V̇O 2 tests on an electrically-braked cycle ergometer. Power output was increased every minute for the short peak V̇O 2 test (S) and every three minutes for the long peak V̇O 2 tests (L). Testing took place over two weeks with all tests separated by at least 48 hours. The first peak V̇O 2 test was a long test (L1) and served as familiarisation. The subjects then performed a short (S) and a long (L2) peak V̇O 2 test in random, counterbalanced order. For each subject, all three tests were performed at the same time of day in controlled environmental conditions. There was no significant difference between the two exercise protocols for peak V̇O 2 when expressed in ml·kg −1 ·min −1 (F [1,7] =3.47, P=0.105) or in L·min −1 (F [1,7] =3.39, P=0.108). However, the maximum heart rate (HR max ) achieved in S was significantly less than the HR max achieved in L2 (F [1,7] =33.4, P<0.001). The power output at exhaustion (W peak ) was significantly greater in S than in L2 (F [1,7] =56.5, P<0.001). The data from this study therefore showed that in moderately-active females, a three-minute incremental protocol, allowing for the simultaneous calculation of the LT, could be used without compromising peak V̇O 2 , but that HR max and W peak were affected.