Author(s): FAY, L., HELD, S., RAPPELT, L., ROHLEDER, J., DONATH, L., Institution: GERMAN SPORT UNIVERSITY COLOGNE, Country: GERMANY, Abstract-ID: 1954

INTRODUCTION:
The relevance of general endurance capacity in gymnasts is debated. Adequate endurance capacity can be however considered a prerequisite for maintaining training quality, recovery and long-term athlete development1. As Vo2max testing is resource consuming, the Shuttle Run Test might serve as a valid and efficient endurance field test for children and adolescents on group level to estimate the maximum oxygen uptake (VO2max)2. In order to meet the requirements of artistic gymnastics, a new 12 m on-gymnastic-floor Shuttle Run Test was developed with a shorter running shuttle distance resulting in more agile change of directions. The study aims to assess validity and absolute and relative reliability data of the newly developed 12 m Shuttle Run Test.
METHODS:
Sixty-nine young gymnasts (age: 12.33 ± 1.6 years; BMI: 17,45 ± 2.03 kg/m2; trainings experience 6.6 ± 2.27 years), competing on state and national level from artistic, trampoline and rhythmic gymnastics disciplines performed a laboratory treadmill test and two subsequent 12 m Shuttle Run Test on a gymnastics floor. VO2max was assessed via spiroergometric testing until objective exhaustion.
RESULTS:
The intraclass coefficient (ICC) 0.82 (95CI: 0.72 < ICC <0.88) with a moderate Limits of agreement (LoA) (9,18 till -10,7 ml/kg/min) indicated a good validity. The between-day-reliability revealed a solid ICC of 0.79 (95CI: 0.64 < ICC < 0.89), with a moderate LoA for VO2max (7,78 till -7,55 ml/kg/min). The good and moderate ICC and small LoA indicated moderate validity and good reliability for HRmax. The estimated VO2max based on 12SRT Performance, body mass and gender correlated moderate (ICC 0.69 (95Cl: 0.54 – 0.79) with the measured VO2max.
CONCLUSION:
The shortened on-gymnastics-floor 12 m Shuttle Run Test can be considered a valid and reliable basic endurance diagnostic testing tool for young gymnasts in order to adequately estimate cross-sectional and longitudinal training-induced endurance performance changes. The feasible and practical 12SRT yields sufficiently valid VO2max estimates for gymnasts and can be used for endurance capacity flagging (green, yellow and red).


1 Sawczyn S, Biskup L, Zasada M, Mishchenko V. Special endurance of young gymnasts. The role of aerobic capacity in fatigue development in the training. Central European Journal of Sport Sciences and Medicine. 2018;23(3).
2 Mayorga-Vega D, Aguilar-Soto P, Viciana J. Criterion-related validity of the 20-m shuttle run test for estimating cardiorespiratory fitness: a meta-analysis. Journal of sports science & medicine. 2015 Sep;14(3):536.