Original researchReliability and validity of the 30-s continuous jump test for anaerobic fitness evaluation
Introduction
Assessment of anaerobic fitness is an important parameter in controlling and monitoring sports training performance. A number of tests have been proposed for evaluating anaerobic metabolism,1, 2, 3 such as the Wingate Anaerobic Test (WAnT), which is one of the most popular.4 Despite its widespread use, this test does not satisfy the specific demands of sports that do not involve cycling movements.5 In addition, some motor actions involving a combination of eccentric and concentric muscular actions, i.e., the stretch-shortening cycle (SSC), enhance performance during the final phase (concentric action) of movement when compared to the isolated concentric actions6 observed in WAnT. SSC is integral to many human movements including countermovement vertical jumps, which are used frequently in several sports.2, 6
Some tests share little specificity with sports that require vertical jumps,7, 8 e.g., basketball and volleyball. In this context, Bosco et al.2 devised a specific anaerobic power test in which continuous jumps are executed for a period of 60 s. In addition to the test's simplicity, the parameters obtained (e.g., jump height) may be more representative and have more practical application for coaches and athletes in sports that include such demands.5
Continuous jump tests have been extensively used by coaches and physical trainers, but insufficient information has been presented in the literature2, 5 concerning their validity and reliability. Bosco et al.2 and Sands et al.5 used only a correlation approach to find evidence for the validity of continuous jump tests applied for 60 s. Additionally, limited or inadequate information about reliability is available. According to Hopkins et al.,9 the two most important aspects of measurement error are concurrent validity and test–retest reliability, which guarantee the quality of a measuring instrument.
A variation of the traditional Bosco test (60 s) using a shorter duration (i.e., 30 s) has recently been studied.10, 11 The 30 s duration is considered sufficient for eliciting ATP-PC power and capacity, as well as maximal glycolytic power,12 which may contribute more effectively to sustain the subject throughout the entire test.13, 14 In addition to causing severe discomfort, anaerobic tests longer than 45 s tend to overestimate at power output because many individuals do not perform at maximum intensity throughout the test.10, 14, 15 According to Inbar et al.,15 the power generated in a 30-s test was higher than that recorded for the first 30 s in longer tests.
Given that no researchers have reported any information regarding the validity of a shorter continuous jump test (30 s) and the lack of data regarding its reliability in previous studies, this study aimed to determine the test–retest reliability and concurrent validity of the continuous jump test performed over 30 s (CJ30), using WAnT as a reference.
Section snippets
Methods
Twenty-one healthy male volleyball athletes (23.8 ± 3.8 years old; 82.5 ± 9.1 kg; 185 ± 4.7 cm; fat percentage: 12.1 ± 3.5%) volunteered to participate in this study. They signed a written informed consent form, which was approved by the Human Research Ethic Committee of the Federal University of Santa Catarina in accordance with the Helsinki convention. Participants trained on a regular basis (three sessions per week) during the three years that preceded the study and were currently competing at the
Results
The number of jumps (26.6 ± 1.9 vs. 26.6 ± 1.8), and the maximum knee (80.2 ± 10.9° vs. 80.5 ± 10.4°) and hip (61.3 ± 12.3° vs. 60.2 ± 9.9°) flexion angles were similar from test to retest sessions, respectively. Table 1 shows the reliability measurements of the CJ30 parameters. HMAX, HMEAN, fatigue index and lactate peak presented ICC ranging from good to excellent. Higher values of TEM (%) were observed for fatigue index and lactate peak when compared to the performance indexes (HMAX and HMEAN).
The
Discussion
The first purpose of this study was to verify the test–retest reliability of a continuous jump test over a shorter duration (30 s). The number of jumps and maximum knee and hip flexion angles were similar in the test and retest session, showing the reliability of the test motor pattern. Considering the intra-class correlation, the CJ30 parameters, HMAX, HMEAN and fatigue index showed excellent reliability (Table 1). However, the fatigue index presented higher typical error (%) when compared to
Conclusion
From our findings it can be concluded that the continuous jump performed for 30 s is a reliable test considering the performance variables (HMAX, HMEAN). Lactate peak and fatigue index are less reliable variables and should be used with care in anaerobic assessment. Considering that the peak blood lactate concentration obtained in the CJ30 was lower than that in the WAnT, there seems to be less demand for glycolytic metabolism in the former. This suggests that the continuous jump and Wingate
Practical implications
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A 30-s test may be more feasible than other longer tests (e.g., 60-s) as it offers more operational facilities with less discomfort.
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The continuous jump test seems to be more specific for sports that are acyclic and involve participants experiencing the stretch-shortening cycle in their actions, such as basketball, volleyball, gymnastics, etc., all of which involve similar movement patterns.
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The use of a simple variable, i.e., jump height, rather than mechanical power has greater practical
Acknowledgments
The authors wish to acknowledge and thank the volunteer participants for their cooperation and the staff of the Biomechanics Laboratory (LABIOMEC-UFSC) for their technical assistance. No financial support was received for this research.
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