Multistage fitness (bleep test, shuttle run)
Objective
The objective of the Multi-Stage Fitness Test (MSFT) is to monitor the development of the athlete's maximum oxygen uptake (VO2 max).
This test is very good for games players as it is specific to the nature of the sport but, due to the short turns, is perhaps not suitable for rowers, runners or cyclists. SOme jobs such as fire brigade and police use the bleep test as part of their recruitment process.
Required Resources
To undertake this test you will require :
A flat, non slippery surface at least 20 metres in length
30 metre tape measure
Marking cones
The Multi-Stage Fitness Test audio tape or CD
Tape recorder or CD Player
Recording sheets
Assistant
How to conduct the test
The test is made up of 23 levels where each level lasts approximately one minute. Each level comprises of a series of 20m shuttles where the starting speed is 8.5km/hr and increases by 0.5km/hr at each level. On the tape/CD a single beep indicates the end of a shuttle and 3 beeps indicates the start of the next level. The test is conducted as follows:
Measure out a 20 metres section and mark each end with a marker cone
The athlete carries out a warm up program of jogging and dynamic stretching exercises
The test is conducted
The athlete must place one foot on or beyond the 20m marker at the end of each shuttle
If the athlete arrives at the end of a shuttle before the beep, the athlete must wait for the beep and then resume running
The athlete keeps running for as long as possible until he/she can longer keep up with the speed set by the tape/CD at which point they should voluntarily withdraw
If the athlete fails to reach the end of the shuttle before the beep they should be allowed 2 or 3 further shuttles to attempt to regain the required pace before being withdrawn
Record the level and number of shuttles completed at that level by the athlete
At the end of the test the athletes conduct a cool down program, including static stretching exercises
Analysis
Analysis of the result is by comparing it with the results of previous tests. It is expected that, with appropriate training between each test, the analysis would indicate an improvement
|