Walker (2009) - A One-Day Field Test Battery For The Assessment of Aerobic Capacity, Anaerobic Capacity, Speed, and Agility PDF
Walker (2009) - A One-Day Field Test Battery For The Assessment of Aerobic Capacity, Anaerobic Capacity, Speed, and Agility PDF
Walker (2009) - A One-Day Field Test Battery For The Assessment of Aerobic Capacity, Anaerobic Capacity, Speed, and Agility PDF
52 VOLUME 31 | NUMBER 6 | DECEMBER 2009 Copyright National Strength and Conditioning Association
as stated by Castagna et al. (9), the conceding a goal (3,14,26,33). Thus, resting and nonfatiguing, agility, power
assessment of aerobic fitness on a reg- agility is very important in soccer, and and strength, sprints, local muscular
ular basis is important for monitoring the ability of soccer players to produce endurance, anaerobic capacity, and
the effectiveness of the physical train- fast paced variable actions is known to finally aerobic capacity tests. The
ing program and the preparedness of impact soccer performance (18,33). author will outline and justify the
soccer players to compete. Even though related to acceleration chosen sequence of tests later in this
The ability to perform and recover and maximum speed, Little and Wil- article.
from periods of intense activity during liams (33) found that they had weak
coefficients of determination; there- FITNESS TESTS
a soccer match (anaerobic endurance)
has also been shown to have an in- fore, separate testing for agility should AEROBIC TESTS
fluence on soccer performance (14,28). be used. Ninety percent of soccer players
Players at the highest level perform energy production is aerobic
WHY FIELD TEST?
twice as many anaerobic bouts of (4,11,23); thus, incorporating a test
It is very difficult logistically to get
running during the most intense period for aerobic fitness within a battery for
one athlete to a proper physiological
of the match compared with the soccer players is essential. Several field
testing laboratory, let alone an entire
average player (30,31), and the ability tests for aerobic capacity have been
squad. Laboratory tests are often ex-
to sprint after these intense periods developed. Many field aerobic tests for
pensive (38,52), making them imprac-
is reduced (7). A player who is able V_ O2max require the subject to either
tical for regular use even for wealthy
to recover and repeat these intense cover a maximal distance in a set time
professional clubs. While laboratory-
actions will perform better, especially or cover a set distance in the fastest
based tests often provide more internal
in the closing stages of the match time possible. These tests are maximal
validity and reliability, these inhibitory
(7,31,43). Training studies have found from the beginning and require a high
factors have lead to the design of valid
that players who improved in high- degree of motivation and knowledge of
and reliable field tests (8).
intensity fitness also improved in other pacing to achieve a reliable result (44).
indicators of soccer performance and Usually, coaches have a limited amount
In the 1980s, with the growing public
experienced decreased match fatigue of time in the preseason period, less
interest in running and athletic perfor-
(29,50). Thus, assessing that soccer than a month in the case of professional
mance, field tests for aerobic capacity
players levels of anaerobic fitness, and college teams, before the season
underwent a revolution with the in-
and training it, are essential. properly begins; therefore, it is impor-
troduction of continuous multistage
tant that assessments are administered
It is well documented that soccer is track tests and maximal multistage
in the most time conscious manner
a sport that requires repeated powerful shuttle run tests. These tests all have
possible without compromising reli-
movements like kicking, sprinting, growing intensities that necessitate
ability and validity and ensuring each
tackling, and jumping (1,46,14, subjects exercise maximally at the
player has a sufficient amount of
22,24,26,27,33,36,40,47,48,50,51,53,61). end of the test (44) and are usually
recovery between each test (49).
Components and measures of power paced by a sound recording (beep
Sports-specific field tests are better
generation including sprinting ability tests). However, each of these is unique
suited, compared with laboratory tests,
(26,27,33,47,50) and jumping distances and assesses the fitness of an athlete in
for these goals because of the simplicity
(10,47) have all been shown to be a different manner (49).
and lack of equipment, making
positively correlated to soccer perfor- The Universite de Montreal Track Test
them popular with both coaches and
mance; therefore, it is important to (UMTT) (15) is an example of a con-
players (38).
measure players strength and power tinuous multistage test. Participants
generation abilities. SEQUENCE OF TESTING run continuously around a track or
Agility is generally defined as the Knowledge of exercise physiology and, field, with marker cones set at 25-m
ability to change direction of the body specifically, the bodys energy systems intervals. The initial pace is set at
rapidly, without losing balance, using can help to determine test order and 10 km/h and increased by 1 km/h
a combination of strength, power, and rest period duration, thereby promot- every 2 minutes. Subjects have to be
neuromuscular coordination (26,33, ing test reliability (20). Tests that within 2 m of the subsequent cone at
49,59). Although rapid actions consti- require tasks, which are highly skillful, each beep. Three consecutive failures
tute a smaller percentage (about 11%) such as those that require coordinated to be within 2 m of the following cone
of player movement (33,38,39,51), on movements and an attention to form, mean that the participant has reached
average, a player will turn 50 times should be conducted before fatiguing his/her maximal velocity and the test
throughout a match (54). Rapid activ- tests so that the latter do not distort the is terminated for that subject. If the
ity often occurs in the crucial seconds results (20). The National Strength and subject has completed at least half
of the game and can make the Conditioning Association (NSCA) (20) of the 25 m distance, the recorded
difference between scoring and suggested the following order of tests: velocity is increased by 0.5 km/h. This
velocity is assumed to represent the There are 2 versions of the Yo-Yo threshold (r = 0.75, 0.76, and 0.83,
maximal aerobic velocity (MAV). intermittent test. The Yo-Yo Intermit- respectively; p = 0.00002). MAV on the
Leger and Boucher, cited in Dupont tent Endurance (YYIE) test (15,37) treadmill was significantly related to
et al. (15), found that this test is valid allows a recovery period of 5 seconds, YYIEL2 and YYIRL1 (r = 0.87 and
(r = 0.96, standard error of the esti- while the Yo-Yo intermittent recovery 0.71, respectively; p = 0.0003).
mate [SEE] = 2.81 mlkg21min21) and (YYIR) test (25,28) allows 10 seconds. According to Krustrup et al. (28), the
reliable (r = 0.97, SEE = 1.92 Two levels of each test have been V_ O2peak estimated from the relation-
mlkg21min21) to predict the V_ O2max developed, one for young or nonelite ship between heart rate and V_ O2 during
of trained and untrained young and (L1) and an advanced one for elite a treadmill test was 97 6 1% consistent
middle-aged women and men, which athletes who have progressed through with V_ O2max. Dupont et al. (15) found
is the population more than likely to be all the level 1 stages (L2) (30), making no significant difference between
engaging in competitive soccer, thus there, in fact, 4 versions of the test. V_ O2peak gathered during the YYIEL1
giving it the appearance of being an All Yo-Yo intermittent tests assess an and V_ O2max determined during the
appropriate test. athletes capacity to continually per- UMTT, and these values were signif-
Although player activity during a soc- form intermittent running with regular icantly related (r = 0.92, p , 0.001).
cer match is constant, making contin- brief rests. The phosphagen and the They also found that V_ O2max and the
uous running tests like the UMTT glycolytic energy systems are both peak velocity achieved during their
appropriate, a players direction of stressed by the YYIE/R tests, and they YYIEL1 were significantly related (r =
movement and pace often changes require the athlete to conduct exercise 0.61, p , 0.05).
between intense running, jogging, intensely and intermittently over a long Researchers have validated both the
walking, and complete rest (1,5,14, period that mimics a soccer match, YYIE (8,9,37) and the YYIR
15,27,30,33,3638,4750,53,55). therefore validating the similarity and (9,15,25,28,30) tests as reliable, sensi-
specificity of the test to the sport tive, and reproducible, permitting de-
Ramsbottom et al. (44) compared a
(49,52). tailed analysis of the physical capacities
20-m progressive shuttle run test
Studies have found that the HRpeak of athlete in sports with the activity
(running between 2 markers placed
reached during a YYIR is not signifi- profile of soccer. The level or type of
20 m apart at increasingly faster
cantly different from (even as close as Yo-Yo chosen would depend on the
speeds) with a laboratory treadmill test
athlete. YYIE tests are more aerobic
that measured V_ O2max directly, 98-100%) the HRpeak reached during
a graded laboratory assessment (15,28). related, while YYIR tests are aerobic
through the collection of expired air.
Dupont et al. (15) found that the and anaerobic (9). Younger and ama-
They found a correlation of r = 0.92
HRpeak during their YYIR1 was not teur athletes would be recommended
(SEE = 3.5 mlkg21min21) between
significantly different from HRmax ob- to undergo the YYIEL1 test and
the 2 tests. However, Metaxas et al.
tained during their UMTT, and these progress through to the level 2. Elite
(37) compared a similar shuttle pro-
values were significantly related (r = athletes, who run at higher intensities
tocol with an intermittent shuttle pro- more often (7,30,31), are recommen-
tocol, discussed below, and laboratory 0.88, p , 0.001). This is a justification
for the use of a YYIR test to establish ded to be tested with the YYIR level 1
treadmill tests, and found the continuous or level 2.
shuttle protocol to indicate the lowest HRmax of a soccer player.
V_ O2max (p # 0.05), specifically 10.5% V_ O2peak for modern soccer players in
Castagna et al. (9) examined V_ O2
the vicinity of 200 mlkg20.75min21
(p # 0.05) lower than the intermittent during YYIEL1 and found V_ O2peak
shuttle run, 11.4% (p # 0.05) lower than (66 mlkg21min21 have been reported
not significantly different to a graded
a continuous treadmill protocol, and (9,54)). This will correspond to different
treadmill test. A recent article high-
13.3% (p # 0.05) lower than an inter- distances covered and levels achieved
lighted the lack of research that
on the various fitness tests described.
mittent treadmill protocol. specifically analyzed the V_ O2 during
A soccer-specific 20-m shuttle run test, the YYIR tests (15).
SPEED AND SPEED ENDURANCE/
called the Yo-Yo intermittent test, was In a contemporary study, Castagna ANAEROBIC RECOVERY TESTS
developed by Bangsbo and published et al. (8) compared YYIEL2, YYIRL1, Soccer is characterized, particularly at
in 1994. The Yo-Yo intermittent test and a treadmill test but did not include the highest levels, by brief periods of
is the same as the test discussed by directly measured V_ O2 data. They intense activity followed by short
Ramsbottom et al. (44), but after the found that the levels achieved on the periods of active or passive recovery
subjects run two 20 m lengths (out and YYIEL2 and YYIRL1 tests were (7,30,31). These brief periods can be
back), they then have a recovery significantly related (r = 0.75, p = the action that decides the winner and
period. At the lowest level, the players 0.00002) plus YYIEL2 results were the loser of a match (18,33,41). Sprint-
have 10 seconds to complete one significantly related to V_ O2max and ing over a short distance, accelerating,
length (8,15,25,30,37,49). both V_ O2 and velocity at ventilatory decelerating, changing direction, and
Table 1
Reliability statistics calculated from 3 consecutive trials and the corresponding indices of reliability
Test ICC (CI) TEM (CI) n (CI) CV/% (CI)
ICC = intraclass correlation coefficient; CI = 95% confidence interval; TEM = typical error of measurement; n = estimated sample size; CV/% =
coefficient of variation; n = 20.
Table 4
Equipment and tester requirements
Test Equipment No. of testers
The order of tests should go as follows: test to assess lower limb explosive power
Anthony in soccer players. J Strength Cond Res 22:
agility test with ball, agility test without
Turner is 944950, 2008.
ball, linear speed, RST, and YYIR tests.
a strength and 11. Chamari K, Hachana Y, Ahmed YB, Galy O,
This follows the recommendations of
conditioning coach Sghaier F, Chatard JC, Hue O, and
NSCA (20) that tests, which require
and a senior lec- Wislff U. Field and laboratory testing in
the most skill should be administered
turer and program young elite soccer players. Br J Sports Med
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leader for the MSc
done last, to prevent the fatigue from
in Strength and 12. Chamari K, Hachana Y, Kaouech F,
affecting the subsequent tests. The
Conditioning at Middlesex University, Jeddi R, Moussa-Chamari I, and Wislff U.
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