Reliability and validity of the maximal anaerobic running test

Area of Science:

• Exercise Physiology
• Sports Science
• Human Performance

Background:

• Assessing anaerobic capacity is crucial for athletic performance.
• The Maximal Anaerobic Running Test (MART) on a treadmill and the Wingate Anaerobic Test (WAnT) on a cycle ergometer are common methods.
• Understanding the reliability and validity of these tests is important for accurate physiological assessment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the reliability and validity of the Maximal Anaerobic Running Test (MART).
• To compare the anaerobic energy production measured by the MART with the Wingate Anaerobic Test (WAnT).
• To determine if the MART and WAnT measure similar or different physiological qualities.

Main Methods:

• Physically active men (n=13) performed the MART twice and the WAnT once.
• The MART involved repeated 20-second runs with 100-second recovery, increasing intensity until exhaustion.
• Oxygen uptake and blood lactate concentration (BLa) were measured to calculate power indices (Pmax, P10mM, P5mM).

Main Results:

• The MART demonstrated high reliability for power indices (Pmax: r=0.92, P10mM: r=0.80, P5mM: r=0.67).
• Peak power (Pmax) in the MART was 108 ml.kg-1.min-1 with a peak BLa of 15.6 mM.
• The average anaerobic energy contribution was 68%, and correlations between MART and WAnT were significant but not high.

Conclusions:

• The Maximal Anaerobic Running Test (MART) is a reliable method for assessing high anaerobic energy production.
• The MART and WAnT measure distinct physiological qualities, suggesting they capture different aspects of anaerobic performance.
• Findings support the use of the MART for evaluating treadmill-based anaerobic running capacity.