Yo-Yo TEST IS ASSOCIATED WITH TOTAL AND HIGH-INTENSITY DISTANCE COVERED IN ELITE PLAYERS

In a recent study conducted by Bradley et al (2010) elite (n = 148) and sub-elite male (n = 14) soccer players carried out the Yo–Yo IE2 test on several occasions over consecutive seasons. Test–retest coefficient of variation (CV) in Yo–Yo IE2 test performance and heart rate after 6 min were 3.9% (n = 37) and 1.4% (n = 32), respectively. Elite male senior and youth U19 players Yo–Yo IE2 performances were better (P < 0.01) than elite youth U16s and sub-elite players (2,603 ± 451 and 2,534 ± 549 vs. 1,855 ± 535 vs. 1,749 ± 382 m).  A correlation was observed (P < 0.05) between Yo–Yo IE2 test performance and the total (r = 0.74) and high-intensity (r = 0.58) running distance covered in a match. These data demonstrate that the Yo–Yo IE2 test is reproducible and can be used to determine the capacity of elite soccer players to perform intense intermittent exercise. Furthermore, the Yo–Yo IE2 test was shown to be a sensitive tool that not only relates to match performance but can also differentiate between intermittent exercise performance of players in various standards, stages of the season and playing positions.

 

Paul S. Bradley, et al. (2010). Sub-maximal and maximal Yo–Yo intermittent endurance test level 2: heart rate response, reproducibility and application to elite soccer  Eur J Appl Physiol