The reliability, validity and usefulness of the 30–15 intermittent fitness test for cardiorespiratory fitness assessment in military personnel

Paravlić, Armin (author), Šimunič, Boštjan (author), Pišot, Rado (author), Rauter, Samo (author), Štuhec, Stanko (author), Vodičar, Janez (author)

The objectives of this study were to investigate the reliability, validity, and usefulness of the 30–15 intermittent fitness test (30–15$_{IFT}$) in soldiers. The 34 infantry members of the Slovenian armed forces were recruited as participants. Participants performed the continuous incremental treadmill test (TR), a 2-mile run (2$_{MR}$) test, and two 30–15$_{IFT}$ tests. Additionally, participants were divided into a highest-scoring group (HSG) and a lowest-scoring group (LSG) based on their scores on the Army Physical Fitness Test. A very high reliability ratings were observed for 30–15$_{IFT}$ measures, as follows: end-running speed (ERS) ERS$_{IFT}$ (ICC= 0.971), maximal heart rate (HR$_{max}$) HR$_{maxIFT}$ (IC= 0.960), and maximal relative oxygen consumption (VO$_{2max}$) VO$_{2max-IFT}$ (ICC= 0.975). Although 30–15$_{IFT}$ measures demonstrated high correlations (r = 0.695–0.930) to the same measures of TR test, ERS, HR$_{max}$ and VO$_{2max}$ were higher in the 30–15$_{IFT}$ (p > 0.05). Furthermore, ERS$_{IFT}$ and predicted VO$_{2maxIFT}$ were higher in HSG compared to LSG, whereas HR$_{max}$ did not differ. The results of this study show that the 30–15$_{IFT}$ test is a reliable, valid and useful tool for assessing cardiorespiratory fitness in the armed forces. Moreover, the ERS and predicted VO$_2$max values derived from the 30–15$_{IFT}$ could be considered more sensitive markers of combat readiness than the parameters derived from the TR and 2$_{MR}$ tests.

• Language: English
• Keywords: sport, intermittent fitness test, reliability, validity, usefulness, cardiorespiratory fitness assessment, military personnel, health occupations, physiology
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: FŠ - Faculty of Sport
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2022
• Number of pages: 8 str.
• Numbering: Vol. 12, art. 16087
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-155354
• UDC: 796.01-057.36
• ISSN on article: 2045-2322
• DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-20315-3
• COBISS.SI-ID: 123561219
• Publication date in RUL: 27.03.2024

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Scientific reports
• Shortened title: Sci. rep.
• Publisher: Nature Publishing Group
• ISSN: 2045-2322
• COBISS.SI-ID: 18727432

Licences

• License: CC BY 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
• Description: This is the standard Creative Commons license that gives others maximum freedom to do what they want with the work as long as they credit the author.

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Keywords: šport, inermitentni test telesne pripravljenosti, zanesljivost, veljavnost, uporabnost, kardiorespiratorna sposobnost, vojaško osebje, vojaki, ocena

Projects

• Funder: ARRS - Slovenian Research Agency
• Project number: V5-2106
• Name: Dvig telesne in bojne pripravljenosti pripadnikov SV

• Funder: Other - Other funder or multiple funders
• Funding programme: Slovenia, Ministry of Defence