RELIABILITY AND VALIDITY OF A NEW REPEATED AGILITY TEST AS A MEASURE OF ANAEROBIC AND EXPLOSIVE POWER

Haj-Sassi, R, Dardouri, W, Gharbi, Z, Chaouachi, A, Mansour, H, Rabhi, A, and Haj-Yahmed, M. Reliability and validity of a new repeated agility test as a measure of anaerobic and explosive power. J Strength Cond Res 25(2): 472-480, 2011-The aim of this study was to evaluate the reliability and validity of a repeated modified agility test (RMAT) to assess anaerobic power and explosiveness. Twenty-seven subjects (age: 20.2 +/- 0.9 years, body mass: 66.1 +/- 6.0 kg, height: 176 +/- 6 cm, and body fat: 11.4 +/- 2.6%) participated in this study. After familiarization, subjects completed the RMAT consisting of 10 x 20-m maximal running performances (moving in forward, lateral, and backward) with similar to 25-second recovery between each run. Ten subjects performed the RMAT twice separated by at least 48 hours to evaluate relative and absolute reliability and usefulness of the test. The criterion validity of the RMAT was determined by examining the relationship between RMAT indices and the Wingate anaerobic test (WAT) performances and both vertical and horizontal jumps. Reliability of the total time (TT) and peak time (PT) of the RMAT was very good, with intraclass correlation coefficient > 0.90 and SEM < 5% and low bias. The usefulness of TT and PT of the RMAT was rated as "good" and "OK," respectively. The TT of the RMAT had significant correlations with the WAT (peak power: r = -0.44; mean power: r = -0.72), vertical jumps (squat jump: r = -0.50; countermovement jump: r = -0.61; drop jump (DJ): r = -0.55; DJ with dominant leg: r = -0.72; DJ with nondominant leg: r = -0.53) and 5 jump test (r = -0.56). These findings suggest that the RMAT is a reliable and valid test for assessing anaerobic power and explosiveness in multisprint sport athletes. Consequently, the RMAT is an easily applied, inexpensive field test and can provide coaches and strength and conditioning professionals with relevant information concerning the choice and the efficacy of training programs.