ABSTRACT.The purpose of the present study was to determine the relationship between minute‐by‐minute oxygen consumption and work‐output during a progressive step‐increment bicycle ergometer test for maximal oxygen consumption (max&OV0312;O2). Seventy‐five untrained subjects pedalled a Monark ergometer at an initial work‐rate of 900 kpm/min for the first two minutes; the resistance was increased 150 kpm/min each 2 minutes thereafter until the subject stopped pedalling. Within‐individual correlations between work‐output and oxygen consumption clearly showed that oxygen consumption was linearly related to the amount of work performed up to the level of the highest oxygen uptake. When subjects were grouped according to length of riding time (6,8,10,12 min) the correlations increased from r= .75 to r= .94, respectively. In spite of these increasing correlations, the last minute of work was on the average 19% lower than the preceding minute of work. During this time, the oxygen consumption appeared to level of or “peak‐over,” which would at first seem to mean that a true max&OV0312;O2had been attained. However, since the oxygen consumption did not meet established criteria for determining a true max&OV0312;O2(since work decreased), it is recommended that the highest oxygen uptake value recorded during a continuous bicycle ergometer test be termed “peak oxygen” consumption.