Purpose:

• This test is a field test designed to estimate an aerobic power and predict VO2max. It was originally designed for mass screening of aerobic power in Canada.

Procedure:

• Two rows of cones are set up 20 meters apart.
• Athletes should be sufficiently warmed up and the athletes should understand the directions. The test should begin at level one.
• The audio file will sound a “beep” at designated time intervals. When the “beep” is heard, the athlete must be at the opposite end of the 20-meter run. Each time the recorded “beep” is heard, the athlete must have completed another 20-meter run.
• With every minute (60 seconds), the “beeps” will progressively get faster prompting the athlete to increase running speed. (The “beeps” start out at a running speed of 8.5 kilometers per hour, or 5.3 miles per hour, and increase by 0.5 kph, or 0.3 mph, every minute thereafter.)
• The athlete must have at least one foot on the line marking the 20-meter distance at the sound of each “beep.” Any athlete who fails to reach the line at the “beep” must receive a warning that they will be eliminated if they do not reach the opposite 20-meter mark by the sound of the “beep”.
• An athlete is deemed finished if they fail to reach the 20-meter cone when the “beep” is heard on two consecutive attempts. Failure to reach the cone is noted by the athlete being at least one step away from the 20-meter mark.

Scoring the Shuttle Test

• Each minute denotes a new level and each cone reached denotes a new shuttle. Thus, a score is read as the level and number of shuttle runs completed.
• For example, an athlete who ran for 10 minutes and 4 shuttles in that tenth minute would be scored as 10–4. This score can be plugged into an online calculator to produce a VO2max predicted score. That VO2 score can then be used to determine the athlete’s starting category.
• The VO2 score can be located in one of the categories. In the case of the example client above with a VO2max score of 48, his score would be considered “Average.”
• The sports performance professional should determine the appropriate cardio program in which to start the client. In the case of the example client above with a cardiorespiratory efficiency of 48 and a score of “Average,” he would be best started in a Zone 2 heart rate range when performing cardiorespiratory exercise.