A semi-tethered test for power assessment in running

Area of Science:

• Sports Science
• Exercise Physiology
• Biomechanics

Background:

• Assessing anaerobic power is crucial for optimizing sprint performance.
• Existing laboratory tests may not fully capture the specific demands of field running.
• Understanding the relationship between different measures of anaerobic capacity and performance is essential.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the validity of a semi-tethered running test (STR) for assessing anaerobic power in trained sprinters.
• To examine the relationship between anaerobic power and capacity indices derived from STR and a cycloergometer Wingate Test (WT).
• To determine the correlation between these anaerobic measures and actual running performance.

Main Methods:

• Nine trained male sprinters performed an all-out 120m STR, a cycloergometer Wingate Test (WT), a 300m run, and a maximal accumulated oxygen deficit (MAOD) test on a treadmill.
• Force and velocity were measured during STR to calculate peak and mean power.
• Pearson correlation coefficients were used to analyze relationships between variables.

Main Results:

• Peak and mean power outputs in STR were significantly higher than in WT.
• STR-derived power measures showed stronger correlations with running performance (r = 0.81-0.94) compared to WT measures (r = 0.68-0.84).
• Relationships between MAOD and power indices were generally weak to moderate.

Conclusions:

• The STR is a useful tool for assessing specific anaerobic power in a field running context.
• Anaerobic power and capacity appear to be distinct entities, regardless of the testing modality.
• STR provides more relevant power data for predicting running performance in sprinters than laboratory-based WT.