The two purposes of the present study were 1) to determine the oxygen consumption in working skeletal muscle from the oxygenation measured by near-infrared continuous-wave spectroscopy (NIRcws) with the arterial occlusion method during the resting condition, INT(VT), and INT(MAX) and 2) to examine whether the decline rate of oxygenation is related to maximal oxygen uptake. Eight healthy males (aged 19.8 +/- 0.4 yr, height 166.9 +/- 17.4 cm, weight 62.1 +/- 2.5 kg, and maximal oxygen uptake [VO2max] 55.9 +/- 1.9 ml/kg x min(-1)) took part in this study. The oxygenation was measured by NIRcws during the Wingate anaerobic test (WAnT) and two intermittent pedalling exercises of VT (INT(VT)) and maximal (INT(MAX)) work intensity. The decline rates of oxygenation obtained during the resting condition, INT(VT), and INT(MAX) with arterial occlusion were 0.43 +/- 0.05%/sec, 4.94 +/- 0.31%/sec, and 8.16 +/- 0.38%/sec, respectively, and that during the WAnT without arterial occlusion was 8.73 +/- 0.49%/sec. The decline rate of oxygenation during the WAnTwas significantly (p < 0.0001) related to maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max). These findings indicate that O2 is utilized from the early phase, even during a supramaximal pedalling exercise, and that the oxidative metabolic capacity may be a factor contributing to supramaximal exercises. Therefore the arterial occlusion method with NIRcws is suitable for the evaluation of the muscle O2 consumption during exercise noninvasively.