Concordance between the indirect V̇O2max value estimated through the distance in Yo-Yo intermittent recovery test level 1 and the direct measurement during a treadmill protocol test in elite youth soccer players

Abstract

The main aim of this study was to evaluate the concordance between the indirect V̇O2max value estimated by the distance achieved in the Yo-Yo intermittent recovery test level 1 (YYIR1) and the direct measurement during a treadmill protocol test (TP) in elite youth soccer players. Methods: Fourteen elite under 20 year’s old soccer players from a first division soccer club were evaluated. Test were performed one week apart. In both tests V̇O2, was measured with an ambulatory gas exchange measurement. YYIR1 estimated V̇O2max was calculated using the equation described by Bangsbo et al. (2008) and in TP was calculated using American College of Sport Medicine equation. Results: Lin´s concordance correlation coefficient between direct V̇O2max in TP and estimated V̇O2max in YYIR1=0.271 (poor concordance). Conclusions: The poor concordance between direct and indirect V̇O2max measurements in TP and YYIR1, indicated that in an elite population both test, are not good indirect predictors of V̇O2max, reached in those tests using current predictive equations. The YYIR1 is well established as a performance-relevant test in elite players, but our data suggests that due to its poor concordance with imprecise estimation of V̇O2max, which should be measured directly if this variable is of specific interest.