Yo Yo Intermittent Recovery Test
The Yo Yo Intermittent Recovery test evaluates an athlete’s ability to repeatedly perform intense exercise. This makes the Yo Yo test perfect for testing soccer fitness levels. Unfortunately the test is not free. It must be purchased. The set I got was in, heaven forbid, tape format. Any kids reading this may not know what I am talking about :). I would recommend you buy the test in CD format. Before buying the CD version shop around to find one for your Ipod or Zune if you have one.
Why do this test?
Because you want a test that closely resembles the game don't choose the 12 minute cooper test or 2 mile test. I know a lot of soccer coaches out there who will disagree with this. Throw out your 2 mile test. How many of you out there do this? Why? Is a 2 mile run like the game? No. It is a test of aerobic levels. But that is not what soccer is about. Soccer is about the players ability to repeatedly perform high intensity exercise over and over again throughout an entire game. So quit doing the 2 mile test.
Where can the test be done
Read the Advantages below
Who should do the Yo Yo Test
Soccer Athletes
Is the test reliable for Soccer?
Scientific research has demonstrated this test's reliable and demonstrated it affective for testing soccer fitness. In 2003 research showed the test had a “high reproducibility and sensitivity allowing for a detailed analysis of the physical capacity of athletes in intermittent sports.” The test correlated to on the field performance but not a treadmill test. The article further went on to say “the Yo-Yo intermittent recovery test was a valid measure of fitness performance in soccer.” The test taxed the aerobic system close to maximally, and the anaerobic system was highly taxed.
Advantage
Because of the set up of the Yo Yo test it has some intrinsic built in advantages. First, it can be done both inside and outside. The reality is soccer teams are limited to weather and location constraints. Teams in Minnesota, Utah, Montana have to spend part of the year training indoors because of poor weather. This test can be performed on basketball courts, tennis courts, soccer fields or even someone’s back yard if its big enough.
The second advantage is the time you save by being able to test a large group of athletes at once.
How the test runs
The athletes start at the point shown in the image below. They run to the far cone. Then return to the starting cones. Each athlete that is not eliminated is given a 10 meter timed rest period. The next repetition starts at the next beep. Coachfx
Final Thoughts
The Yo Yo test comes packaged in a few different versions. For soccer make sure you choose the Yo Yo Intermittent Recovery test.
References
- Krustrup P, Mohr M et al. The yo-yo intermittent recovery test: physiological response, reliability, and validity. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2003 Apr;35(4):697-705.
- Bangsbo J, Iaia FM, Krustrup P. The Yo-Yo intermittent recovery test : a useful tool for evaluation of physical performance in intermittent sports. Sports Med. 2008;38(1):37-51.
