Criterion validity of a field-based assessment of aerobic capacity in wheelchair rugby athletes.

Introduction:

Benchmarking and profiling of Wheelchair Rugby (WR) players requires reliable performance tests that provide a valid representation of the physical competencies specific to on-court performance.

While technological advances in wheelchair ergometry and treadmill (TM) design have permitted well-established protocols for anaerobic and aerobic wheelchair testing during standardized conditions, on-court sport-specific testing remains the coach’s preferred method.

It is likely that wheelchair propulsion differs between players with neuromuscular conditions, multiple amputations, congenital limb defects, and different levels of spinal cord injury.

To date, no study has designed a multistage fitness test (MFT) specially for the sport of WR to assess aerobic capacity in athletes with lower functional and VO₂peak capabilities.

Study aim: To confirm whether peak aerobic capacity of laboratory-based treadmill (TM) testing could be replicated during a multistage fitness test (MFT) in WR players.

Methods:

Sixteen male national-level WR players performed an incremental speed-based peak oxygen uptake (V藱O2peak) test on a motorized treadmill (TM) and a multistage fitness test (MFT) on a basketball court.

Spirometric data was recorded continuously during the TM and MFT using an online portable gas analysis system in breath-by-breath mode. Heart rate was continuously recorded at 5-second intervals, and rating of perceived exertion (RPE) using the Borg scale was recalled at the end of all tests. Tests were performed on separate days (minimum of 48 h and maximum 7 d) in a counterbalanced order. 

A paired t-test was performed to check for systematic error between tests. A Bland-Altman plot for V藱O2peak illustrated the agreement between the TM and MFT results and how this related to the boundaries of practical equivalence.

Main findings:

• No significant differences between mean VO₂peak were reported.
• Group average VO₂peak values for TM and MFT are interchangeable.
• At the level of the individual athlete, TM and MFT results were not interchangeable.
• MFT provides a suitable test at a group level for the assessment of VO₂peak.
• Caution is noted for interchangeable use of individual player values between tests.
• Although MFT may not consistently provide the same results for an individual as the TM test, it does provide good indication of aerobic capacity on a group level and could be used for monitoring (individual) WR athletes over time.

Reference:

Goosey-Tolfrey VL, de Groot S, Tolfrey K, Paulson TAW. Criterion Validity of a Field-Based Assessment of Aerobic Capacity in Wheelchair Rugby Athletes. Int J Sports Physiol Perform. 2021 Sep 1;16(9):1341-1346. DOI: 10.1123/ijspp.2020-0517. Epub 2021 Mar 2. PMID: 33652413.