Concurrent Validity and Reliability of an On-floor 12m Shuttle Run Test for Young Gymnasts

Adequate endurance capacity is crucial for training quality, recovery, and long-term development of gymnasts. The Shuttle Run Test is a valid and efficient field test for estimating aerobic capacity (i.e. maximum oxygen uptake; V̇O2max) in children and adolescents. Adapted to the indoor restrictions of an artistic gymnastics floor, a feasible 12 m Shuttle Run Test (12SRT) was examined for its validity and absolute and relative reliability. Young gymnasts (n=69; age: 12.3 ± 1.6 years; BMI: 17.6 ± 2.0 kg*m-2; training experience 6.6 ± 2.3 years), competing at trained and highly trained levels in artistic, trampoline, and rhythmic gymnastics, initially performed a laboratory treadmill test and two further 12SRT on gymnastics floor. Oxygen uptake during lab- and on-floor testing was assessed until objective exhaustion criteria were reached. The 12SRT demonstrated good validity for relative maximal oxygen uptake (V̇O2max/kg) (intraclass correlation coefficient, ICC2,1:0.82, 95% confidence interval, 95%CI:0.72 -0.88) with moderate limits of agreement (95%CI: -10.7 to 9.2 ml*kg-1*min-1) between the treadmill and 12SRT. The test-retest reliability of the 12SRT for V̇O2max/kg was good (ICC2,1:0.79, 95%CI:0.64 - 0.89). The on-floor 12SRT serves as a sufficiently valid and reliable endurance testing tool, enabling the regular assessment with a potential classification of aerobic capacity requirements.