The Reliability of 20 m Sprint Time Using a Novel Assessment Technique

Sprint acceleration is critical for success in team sports. This study aimed to (a) establish the test-retest reliability of a novel method for assessing 20 m sprint performance and (b) determine the magnitude of meaningful change in 20 m sprint times. Thirty highly trained male team sport athletes completed sprint testing (2 × 20 m [separated by 5 min]) on two separate occasions, separated by 7 days. Sprint times (0-20, 0-10, 10-20 m) were recorded using infrared timing gates (Brower Timing Systems, West Valley City, UT, USA) connected to a motion start sensor positioned at the participant's rear leg while in a 2-point starting stance. 0-20, 0-10, and 10-20 m sprint times demonstrated acceptable reliability (CV = 0.52-1.36%, ICC = 0.89-0.95). Additionally, the smallest worthwhile change (SWC) was greater than the typical error (TE [95% CI]) for 0-20 (0.025 s) and 0-10 m (0.016 s) sprint times, indicating that meaningful changes can be reliably detected between testing sessions. However, the SWC was less than the TE for 10-20 m sprint times. This suggests the method may not reliably detect meaningful changes in sprint performance over this distance. As such, the minimal detectable change (95% CI) should be considered the threshold for meaningful change (0.033 s). The consistent and low TE across sprint distances highlights the test-retest reliability of the method for assessing 0-20 m sprint times in this population of highly trained male team sport athletes.