Assessment of the Reliability of the FAST Using a Test-Retest Design and the Intraclass Correlation Coefficient

• Published in: Canadian journal of applied physiology 2005-01, Vol.30, p.S64-S64
• Main Authors: Petrella, N J, Faught, B E, Montelpare, W J, Nystrom, M, Plyley, MJ
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 1066-7814

The Faught Aerobic Skating Test (FAST) was designed as an on-ice continuous skating protocol for estimating aerobic capacity of hockey players. The present study measured the reliability of the FAST final stage completed (f-stage) and the player's maximum heart rate (FAST-HR) upon completion of the FAST in a test-retest design using the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) statistical analysis. Sixteen male and female minor bantam hockey players (mean age 12.94 plus or minus 0.25) performed the FAST on two occasions exactly 1 week apart at the same location and time of day. The players used minimal hockey equipment including skates, helmet, gloves, stick, and elbow pads, and the delivery of instructions was the same at both trials. FAST stage and FAST maximum heart rate were recorded at each trial and evaluated with the intraclass correlation coefficient procedure. The results showed that the f-stage was statistically reliable (ICC = .808, p < .001), while FAST-HR was not (ICC = .01). Such findings have implications in the administration of the FAST. The stability of the f-stage is further support for the use of this estimate as an essential component in measuring aerobic capacity with the FAST. Conversely, FAST-HR which was earlier shown to be less important in the estimation of aerobic capacity with the FAST, was here shown to be unreliable. The present study provides additional support for the application of the FAST as a reliable on-ice measure of aerobic capacity.