The Reliability and Validity of a Four-Minute Running Time-Trial in Assessing [Formula: see text]max and Performance.

Kerry Mcgawley

doi:10.3389/fphys.2017.00270

Abstract

Introduction: Traditional graded-exercise tests to volitional exhaustion (GXTs) are limited by the need to establish starting workloads, stage durations, and step increments. Short-duration time-trials (TTs) may be easier to implement and more ecologically valid in terms of real-world athletic events. The purpose of the current study was to assess the reliability and validity of maximal oxygen uptake (max) and performance measured during a traditional GXT (STEP) and a four-minute running time-trial (RunTT).Methods: Ten recreational runners (age: 32 ± 7 years; body mass: 69 ± 10 kg) completed five STEP tests with a verification phase (VER) and five self-paced RunTTs on a treadmill. The order of the STEP/VER and RunTT trials was alternated and counter-balanced. Performance was measured as time to exhaustion (TTE) for STEP and VER and distance covered for RunTT.Results: The coefficient of variation (CV) for max was similar between STEP, VER, and RunTT (1.9 ± 1.0, 2.2 ± 1.1, and 1.8 ± 0.8%, respectively), but varied for performance between the three types of test (4.5 ± 1.9, 9.7 ± 3.5, and 1.8 ± 0.7% for STEP, VER, and RunTT, respectively). Bland-Altman limits of agreement (bias ± 95%) showed max to be 1.6 ± 3.6 mL·kg−1·min−1 higher for STEP vs. RunTT. Peak HR was also significantly higher during STEP compared with RunTT (P = 0.019).Conclusion: A four-minute running time-trial appears to provide more reliable performance data in comparison to an incremental test to exhaustion, but may underestimate max.

Highlights

Traditional graded-exercise tests to volitional exhaustion (GXTs) are limited by the need to establish starting workloads, stage durations, and step increments
Performance was measured as time to exhaustion (TTE) for Step Test to Exhaustion (STEP) and verification phase (VER) and distance covered for running time-trial (RunTT)
The V O2max and performance data for the five STEP, VER, and RunTT trials are shown in Tables 2, 3, respectively, together with the trial-to-trial coefficient of variation (CV)- and intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs)-values

Summary

Introduction

Traditional graded-exercise tests to volitional exhaustion (GXTs) are limited by the need to establish starting workloads, stage durations, and step increments. Another alternative to the traditional GXT has shown significantly higher V O2max values in both cycling and running when “clamping” five, 2-min incremental stages according to rating of perceived exertion (RPE) scores (Mauger and Sculthorpe, 2012; Mauger et al, 2013; Hogg et al, 2015) While this type of protocol does overcome the issues associated with open-ended tests, since there is a fixed end-point, the progressive increase in RPE clamps (starting at 11 increasing to 13, 15, 17, and 20) is still incremental and not ecologically valid in terms of real-world athletic events

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Results

Discussion

Conclusion