Measured maximal oxygen uptake in a multi-stage shuttle test and treadmill-run test in trained athletes

Aim: The aims of the study were: i) to compare the measured maximal oxygen uptake (MVO(2max)) during the 20 in multistage shuttle test (MST) with MVO(2max) during an incremental treadmill-run test (TRT), and ii) to establish the reliability of MVO(2max) during MST, in trained athletes. Methods: Experimental design: 8 well-trained endurance-athletes (END) and 8 athletes involved in team games (GAM) performed the MST twice (i.e. MST1 and MST2) and the TRT once, in 3 separate sessions. Measures: MVO(2max) attained in the MST and TRT was measured using a portable respiratory analyser (model K4 RQ, Cosmed). Results: MVO(2max) attained in the MST and TRT were significantly different for the END athletes (4.1 +/- 0.28 vs 4.45 +/- 0.31 L(.)min(-1), P < 0.05) but not for GAM athletes (4.01 +/- 0.51 vs 4.1 +/- 0.59 L(.)min(-1), P > 0.05). The 95% limits of agreement for MVO(2max) in the MST in L(.)min(-1) were -0.67 to 0.27. MVO(2max) in MST1 and MST2 were not significantly different for END athletes (4.18 +/- 0.39 vs 4.1 +/- 0.28 L(.)min(-1), P > 0.05) and GAM athletes (4.01 +/- 0.55 vs 4.01 +/- 0.51 L(.)min(-1), P > 0.05). Reliability indicators for MVO(2max) in L(.)min(-1) for MST test-retest were: typical error (TE) = 0.14, coefficient of variation (CV) = 3.5 and intra-class correlation (ICC) = 0.90. Conclusion: MVO(2max) in the MST was lower than that measured in the TRT for the END athletes but not for the GAM athletes. Sport-specificity was an important consideration, especially when testing END athletes for VO(2max)(.)MVO(2max) in the MST showed acceptable levels of reproducibility.