Validity evaluation of a new anaerobic performance field test

IntroductionAnaerobic tests are divided into tests which measure anaerobic power and capacity (Vandewalle et al., 1987). The anaerobic capacity tests can be classified according to whether they attempt to quantify anaerobic performance, or provide a work estimation of anaerobic capacity (Gastin, 1994). Currently, the Wingate Anaerobic Test (WAnT) is considered to be the most reliable and valid test and it is used in a number of laboratories and in a variety of sports for the evaluation of the muscle power generation during short term exhaustive exercise. The classification of the WAnT as an anaerobic test has been based on indirect assessments concerning the contribution of anaerobic energy metabolism in performance and it includes reports of oxygen deficits and oxygen debt (Inbar et al., 1996), blood lactate concentration (Bar-Or, 1987) and muscle lactate concentrations (Jacobs et al., 1993). The anaerobic capacity tests are subdivided into maximal oxygen debt test and all-out constant load tests (Simoneau et al., 1983). However, there are discrepancies in the literature regarding the measurement of the anaerobic capacity. Most of the tests that are designed to measure the characteristics of the anaerobic performance are time dependent. These tests were extensively used in order to evaluate the anaerobic capacity of the involved muscle groups. However, the duration of the tests has generally been based upon the belief that maximum lactate production can be achieved within 40s time period (Margaria et al., 1964). During the last decades a number of sport specific anaerobic field tests have been developed (Borsetto et al., 1989; Wragg et al., 2000; Thomas et al., 2002). However, parameters such as wind velocity, ambient temperature and humidity as well as the track conditions are likely to differentiate the athletes' optimum performance in the field tests.The new method suggested for the evaluation of the anaerobic performance in adults would not necessarily be conducted by experienced personnel, it was rigidly controlled in administration and it was not limited by external influences such as the testing surface, the type of shoes or the possible error in the time taken. The aim of the present study was to assess the validity of easy to administer testing method, which could be used in order to evaluate the neuromuscular as well as the metabolic determinants of anaerobic performance in healthy and physically active young adults. Thus, this research's hypothesis was based on the fact that the proposed testing method for the assessment of the anaerobic performance is valid and accurate.Materials and MethodsTest DescriptionThe proposed method for the evaluation of the anaerobic performance was based on the speed and agility training "Skipping Paw Drill" (a repetitive muscular activity from the legs), which has been applied in a variety of sports such as athletics, soccer, handball, basketball and tennis. The new field test named "Skipping Test" (SkipTest) requires only a small vertical displacement of the subject's body center of gravity. From a high knee position, the testing purpose was to lower the foot in order to hit the ground with the ball of the foot and get it up as quickly as possible. In turn, the foot's effort from the ground should bounce the leg up into the high knee position parallel to the ground. The hands are supported and fixed on the wall or in a handle bar with the arms in 120o flexion of forearms while the head must be in upright position with the trunk angle in about of 45o (Figure 1). The subject was instructed to move his leg as fast and often as he could during the 30s time-period of the test. The resistance loading during the SkipTest was the 1.5% of the subject's body mass and was applied with ankle weights which were fastened around the lower calves of the subjects' legs. The counting of the foot contacts and the timing of the test started with the first contact of the dominant leg on the ground. …