Reliability and Validity of the Anaerobic Speed Test and the Field Anaerobic Shuttle Test for Measuring Anaerobic Work Capacity in Soccer Players

Abstract

Twenty-six male and female collegiate and semiprofessional/professional soccer players (age = 20.4 ± 2.0 years; height = 172.1 ± 8.2 cm; weight = 70.7 ± 10.8 kg) participated in this study to determine the reliability and validity of a field anaerobic shuttle test (FAST) and the Cunningham and Faulkner (1969) treadmill anaerobic speed test (AST). The relationship between the AST and FAST was also investigated. Intraclass reliability coefficients were acceptable for the FAST (.96) and AST (.97) with no significant difference between the means at T1 and T2 (FAST = 56.0 vs. 55.8 sec; AST = 41.9 vs. 41.4 sec). Poor reliability for the Wingate Anaerobic Test (WAT), .83 (W), .70 (W · kg-1), necessitated correcting the validity coefficients for attenuation, FAST vs. WAT = -.89 (W) and -.71 (W · kg-1); AST vs. WAT = .82 (W) and .74 (W · kg-1). These coefficients provide preliminary evidence that the construct being measured is anaerobic work capacity. The results (FAST vs. AST = -.85) indicate that FAST and AST appear to be measuring the same construct. Further research is needed to substantiate the validity of AST and FAST scores as measures of anaerobic work capacity of collegiate and professional soccer players.