The subject of this paper is a new procedure applied for more precise determination of material fatigue characteristics. The proposed approach is based on a special definition of the strain energy density parameter used for material fatigue property descriptions and, in the consequence, on the new algorithm of the fatigue machine control in the feedback loop. On the basis of fatigue tests under uniaxial tension-compression with the strain energy density parameter control it was proved that the fatigue characteristics in energy approach (Wa - N1) determined directly from the tests and indirectly from the Manson-Coffin relation (E,, - Nj) with the strain control for material showing cyclic stability are similar. However, for material cyclic hardening these characteristics differ significantly in high cycle fatigue regime.