Overestimation of maximal aerobic speed by the Université de Montréal track test and a 1500-m-time trial in soccer

Introduction: Maximal aerobic speed (MAS), usually measured by cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) on a treadmill, is gaining popularity in soccer to determine aerobic performance. Several field tests are used to estimate MAS, although, gold standard methods are still not clarified. Therefore, this work aims 1) to compare two different CPET based methods to assess MAS and 2) to investigate the convergent validity of two common field tests to estimate MAS in soccer.

Methods: Thirteen trained male soccer players completed an CPET on a treadmill to determine two VO ₂-kinetic based definitions of MAS (MAS _Plateau = speed at onset of VO ₂-plateau = gold standard; MAS _30s = first speed of 30-s-interval of VO ₂max), the Université de Montreal Track Test (UMTT; V _UMTT = speed of the last stage), and a 1500-m-time trial (1500-m-TT; V _1500m = average speed). MAS _Plateau, MAS _30s, V _UMTT, and V _1500m were compared using ANOVA. Additionally, limits of agreement analysis (LoA), Pearson’s r, and ICC were calculated between tests.

Results: MAS _30s, V _UMTT, and V _1500m significantly overestimated MAS _Plateau by 0.99 km/h (ES = 1.61; p < 0.01), 1.61 km/h (ES = 2.03; p < 0.01) and 1.68 km/h (ES = 1.77; p < 0.01), respectively, with large LoA (-0.21 ≤ LoA≤3.55), however with large-to-very large correlations (0.65 ≤ r ≤ 0.87; p ≤ 0.02; 0.51 ≤ ICC≤ 0.85; p ≤ 0.03).

Discussion: The overestimation and large LoA of MAS _Plateau by all estimates indicate that 1) a uniform definition of MAS is needed and 2) the UMTT and a 1500-m-TT seem questionable for estimating MAS for trained soccer players on an individual basis, while regression equations might be suitable on a team level. The results of the present work contribute to the clarification of acquisition of MAS in soccer.